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WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  IVIicroreproductions  /  institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
ori'^^nai  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


D 


D 


D 


D 
D 


n 


D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommag^e 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaur^e  et/ou  peliicuiie 


I      I    Cover  title  missing/ 


Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


I      I    Coloured  maps/ 


Cartes  g6ographiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  inic  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encra  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


I      I    Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 


Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 


Bound  with  other  material/ 
Reli6  avec  d'autres  documents 


Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  re  liure  serr§e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  ie  long  de  la  marge  int^rieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
11  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajout^es 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  6tait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6t6  fiimies. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppl6mentaires; 


L'Institut  a  microfilm6  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  ^ti  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  methods  normale  de  filmage 
soiit  indiqu6s  ci-dessous. 


I      I   Coloured  pages/ 


D 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  fiimi  au  taux  de  rMuction  indiqu6  ci-dessous. 


Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommag^es 

Pages  restored  and/oi 

Pages  restaurdes  et/ou  pellicul6es 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxe( 
Pages  ddcolordes,  tachet6es  ou  piqu6es 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ddtachdes 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Quality  indgaie  de  I'impression 

includes  supplementary  materii 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppi^mentaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 


I — I  Pages  damaged/ 

I — I  Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 

r~n  Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 

FT]  Pages  detached/ 

rri  Showthrough/ 

I      I  Quality  of  print  varies/ 

I      I  includes  supplementary  material/ 

I      I  Only  edition  available/ 


Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partieliement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6t^  filmtos  d  nouveau  de  fa9on  d 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


Th 
to 


Th 
pa 
of 
fill 


Or 
be 
th 
sic 
ot 
fir 
sic 
or 


Th 
shi 

Tir 

w» 

Ml 
dif 
em 
bei 
rig 
req 
ma 


10X 

14X 

18X 

22X 

26X 

30X 

y 

12X 

16X 

20X 

24X 

28X 

32X 

Th«  copy  filmad  h«r«  hat  bMn  raproducad  thanks 
to  tha  ganarosity  of: 

Lakehead  Univenity 
Thunder  Bay 

Tha  imagas  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  bast  quality 
pocsibia  considjring  tha  condition  and  lagibiiity 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacificatlona. 


Original  copias  in  printad  papar  covars  ara  filmad 
baginning  with  tha  front  covar  and  anding  on 
tha  last  paga  with  a  printad  or  illustratad  impraa- 
sion,  or  tha  back  covar  whan  appropriata.  All 
othar  original  copiaa  ara  filmad  baginning  on  tha 
first  paga  with  a  printad  or  illuatratad  impraa- 
sion,  and  anding  on  tha  last  paga  with  a  printad 
or  illuatratad  imprassion. 


Tha  last  racordad  frama  on  aach  microficha 
shall  contain  tha  symbol  —►(moaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (moaning  "END"), 
whichavar  applias. 


L'axampiaira  fiimd  fut  raproduit  grAca  A  ia 
ginArosit*  da: 

Lakeliead  University 
Thunder  Bay 

Las  imagas  suivantes  ont  6t6  reproduites  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tanu  da  la  condition  at 
da  ia  nattat«  da  l'axampiaira  fiim«,  at  an 
conformity  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  da 
filmaga. 

Las  axamplaires  originaux  dont  la  couvarture  en 
papier  est  imprimte  sont  filmte  en  commen9ant 
par  ia  premier  plat  at  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
darnlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration.  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  las  autres  exempiaires 
originaux  sont  filmis  en  commen^ant  par  la 
pramlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  at  en  terminent  par 
la  darnlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  dee  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
darniire  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  seion  le 
cas:  la  symbols  — *>  signifie  "A  SUIVRE  ",  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN  ". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  ara  filmad 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  aa 
required  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
methoff: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
filmfo  A  des  taux  de  rMuction  diff^rents. 
Lorsque  ie  document  est  trop  grand  pour  6tre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichA,  il  est  filmA  A  partir 
de  i'angie  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ntcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
iliustrent  ia  m^thode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

'■■'■'  \  ti 


>  I 


%  I 


In  majestic  circles  it  slowly  ascended  to  its  eyrie." 


OOWIKAPUN 


OK 


How  THH  GOSPHL  RhACHHD  THE  NhLSON 

RivHR  Indians 

By  FGERTON  RYHRSON  YOUNG 


ninmu.uls  of  Truth  wrapped  in  |-icti..n's  gi|,k.,i  set. 
A  noscuay  of  Facts  tied  with  therihbon  ..f  koiu:.ncc 


mg 


NEW  YORK:  HUNT  &  EATOX 

CIXCINNATI:   CRANSTON  \  CLRTS 

1894 


Copyright  by 

HUNT  &  EATON, 

1894. 


Composition,  elect rotypiiig, 

printing,  and  binding  b)* 

Hunt  &  Eaton, 

150  Fifth  Ave.,  New  York. 


loiin 


CONTENTS. 

^ — , — . 

CHAPTER  I.  ,,„.^. 

The  Wolf  Trap  ----...  5 

CHAPTER  II. 
A  Contrast         -----...2! 

CHAPTER  III. 
Oowikapun's  Vision  --_.__        33 

CHAPTER  IV. 
A  Strange  Benefactor        -        -        ^        -        -        _        45 

CHAPTER  V. 
The  Maiden's  Story  --_.__        55 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Hunting  Wild  Geese  ------        72 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Mookoonnis  and  his  Legends       -  .        _        _        85 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
Seeking  for  Light      ----_.._        95 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Physical  Torture       -        -        -        -        -        -        -116 

CHAPTER  X. 
A  Mortal  Wound       -        -        -        -        -         -        -131 

CHAPTER  XI. 
The  Rescue       -        -        -        -        -        -        -        -142 


Contents. 


I'  \(;k 


CHAPTER  XII. 
A  Noble  Ambition     - 155 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
The  Sudden  Disappearance 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
In  Need  of  a  Missionary     -        -        - 

CHAPTER  XV. 

The  Missionary  on  his  Journey 


170 


83 


1 96 


CHAPTER  XVi. 
The  Missionary  at  Work     -        -        -        -        .        -     211 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
Norway  House  Revisited 


224 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

••  Oowikapun  sprang  back  to  the  nearest  tree  " 
'•  Some  one  had  had  compassion  on  him  " 
"She  found  herself  almost  face  to  face  with   Oowi- 
kapun" ----__. 
"  Fun-loving,  happy  boys "       -        -         -         -         . 
"  Like  white  folks,  would  gossip  a  little  "   - 

At  Edmonton     ------_. 

Head  of  the  Catamount     ----_. 

An  Indian  Football  Team  -        -        -        .        . 

Indians— Old  and  Young   ----_. 

A  Group  of  Indian  Children  and  Missionary 

An  Indian  Brass  Band      ----_. 


28 
49 

57 

65 

83 

122 

147 

157 

182 

197 

225 


M 


OOWIKAPUN; 


OR, 


How  THE  GosPEi.  Reached  the  Nelson 
River  Indians. 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  Wolf  Trap. 

i'Z^'I^AT    Oowikapun    was    unhappy, 

j      j^     I     strangely  so,  was  evident  to  all  in 

1 I     ^^^^  ^"^'an  village.     New  thoughts 

deeply  afTecting  him  had  in  some 
way  or  other  entered  into  his  mind,  and  he 
could  not  but  show  that  they  were  producing 
a  great  change  in  him. 

The  simple,  quiet,  monotonous  life  of  the 
young  Indian  hunter  was  curiously  broken  in 
upon,  and  he  could  never  be  the  same  again. 
There  had  come  a  decided  awakening;  the 
circle  of  his  vision  had  suddenly  enlarged,  and 
he  had  become  aware  of  the  fact  that  he  was 


6  OOWIKAPUN. 

something  more  than  he  imagined.  While,  in 
his  simple  faith,  he  had  paddled  along  the 
beautiful  rivers,  or  wandered  through  the  wild 
forests  of  his  country,  catching  the  fish  or 
hunting  the  game,  where  at  times  he  had  heard 
the  thunder's  crash  and  seen  the  majestic  tree 
riven  by  the  lightning's  power,  and  perhaps  in 
these  seasons  of  nature's  wild  commotion  had 
"  seen  God  in  cloud  and  heard  him  in  the 
wind,"  yet  until  very  lately  he  liad  never 
heard  of  anything  which  had  caused  him  to 
imagine  that  he  was  in  any  way  allied  to  that 
Great  Spirit,  or  was  in  any  way  responsible  to 
him. 

What  was  the  cause  of  this  mental  dis- 
quietude, of  these  long  hours  of  absorbing 
thought  ? 

To  answer  these  inquiries  we  must  go  back 
a  little,  and  accompany  him  on  a  hunting  trip 
which  he  made  in  the  forest  months  ago. 

Hearing  from  some  other  hunters  of  a  place 
where  gray  wolves  were  numerous,  and  being 
ambitious  to  kill  some  of  these  fierce  brutes, 
that  he  might  adorn  his  wigwam  with  their 
warm  skins,  he  took  his  traps  and  camping  outfit 


The  Woi.f  Trap. 


and  set  out  for  that  region  of  country,  although 
it  was  more  than  two  hundred  miles  away. 
Here  he  found  tracks  in  abundance,  and  so 
before  he  made  his  little  hunting  lodge  in  the 
midst  of  a  spruce  grove,  he  set  his  traps  for  the 
fierce  wolves  in  a  spot  which  seemed  to  be  a 
rallying  place  of  theirs.  As  they  are  very  sus- 
picious and  clever,  he  carefully  placed  two 
traps  close  together  and  sprinkled  them  over 
with  snow,  leaving  visible  only  the  dead  rab- 
bits which  served  as  bait.  Then  scattering 
more  snow  over  his  own  tracks  as  he  moved 
away,  in  order  to  leave  a^  little  evidence  of  his 
having  been  there  as  possible,  he  returned  to 
his  little  tentlike  lodge  and  prepared  and  ate 
his  supper,  smoked  his  pipe,  and  then  wrap- 
ping himself  up  in  his  blanket  was  soon  fast 
asleep.  Very  early  next  morning  he  was  up 
and  off  to  visit  his  traps.  His  ax  was  slipped 
in  his  belt,  and  his  gun,  well  loaded,  was  car- 
ried ready  for  use  if  necessary.  When  he  had 
got  within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  the  place 
where  he  had  set  his  heavy  traps,  he  heard  the 
rattling  of  the  chains  which  were  attached  to 
them,  each   fastened   to    a   heavy   log.     This 


II 


8 


OOWIK  APUN. 


sound,  while  it  made  his  heart  jump,  was  very 
welcome,  for  it  meant  that  he  had  been  success- 
ful. When  he  drew  near  the  spot  where  he 
had  set  the  traps,  he  found  that  a  fierce  old 
wolf,  in  trying  to  get  the  rabbit  from  one  of 
them  without  springing  it,  had  got  caught  in 
the  other,  and  although  both  of  his  hind  legs 
were  held  by  the  sharp  teeth  of  the  trap,  he 
had  managed  to  drag  it  and  the  heavy  log  fas- 
tened to  it  to  quite  a  distance. 

When  Oowikapun  drew  near,  the  wolf  made 
the  most  desperate  efforts  to  escape ;  but  the 
strong  trap  held  him  securely,  and  the  heavy 
log  on  the  chain  made  it  impossible  for  him  to 
get  far  away. 

Oowikapun  could  easily  have  shot  him,  but 
ammunition  was  dear  and  the  bullet  hole  in 
the  skin  would  be  a  blemish,  and  the  sound 
of  the  gun  might  scare  away  the  game  that 
might  be  near ;  so  he  resolved  to  kill  the  wolf 
with  the  back  of  his  ax.  Better  would  it 
have  been  for  him  if  he  had  shot  him  at  once. 
So  putting  down  his  gun  he  took  his  ax  out 
of  his  belt  and  cautiously  approached  the 
treacherous  brute.     The    sight  of  the  man  so 


The  Woi.f    I'rap.  9 

near  sccmctl  to  fill  him  with  fury,  and,  unable 
to  escape,  lie  made  the  most  desperate  efforts 
to  reach  him.  His  appt  irance  was  demoniacal, 
and  his  howls  and  snarls  would  liave  terrified 
almost  anybody  else  than  an  experienced, 
cool-headed  hunter. 

Oowikapun,  seeing  what  an  ugly  customer 
he  had  to  deal  with,  very  cautiously  kept  just 
beyond  the  limits  of  the  fearful  plunges  which 
the  chain  would  allow  the  wolf  to  make,  and 
keenly  watched  for  an  opportunity  to  strike 
him  on  the  head.  So  wary  and  quick  was  the 
wolf  that  some  blows  received  only  maddened 
without  disabling  him. 

Oowikapun  at  length,  becoming  annoyed 
that  he  should  have  any  difficulty  in  killing  an 
entrapped  wolf,  resolved  to  end  the  conflict  at 
once  with  a  decisive  blow  ;  and  so  with  up- 
raised ax  he  placed  himself  as  near  as  he 
thought  safe,  and  waited  for  the  infuriated 
brute  to  spring  at  him.  But  so  much  force 
did  the  entrapped  brute  put  into  that  spring 
that  it  carried  the  log  vittached  to  the  chain 
along  with  him,  and  his  sharp,  glittering  fang- 
like teeth  snapped  together  within  a  few  inches 


a       O 


^■'•;n-:j  <:; 


".1 


"^ 


10 


OOWIKAPUN. 


i' 


i' 


of  Oowikapun's  throat,  and  such  was  the  force 
of  the  concussion  that  he  was  hurled  backward, 
and  ere  he  could  assume  the  aggressive,  the 
sharp  teeth  of  the  wolf  had  seized  his  left  arm, 
which  he  threw  up  for  defense,  and  seemed  to 
cut  down  to  the  very  bone,  causing  intense 
pain.  But  Oowikapun  was  a  brave  man  and 
cool-headed,  so  a  few  blows  from  the  keen  edge 
of  the  ax  in  his  right  hand  finished  his  foe, 
whose  only  weapons  were  his  sharp  teeth,  and 
he  was  soon  lying  dead  in  the  snow ;  but  his 
beautiful  skin  was  about  worthless  as  a  robe  on 
account  of  the  many  gashes  it  had  received, 
much  to  the  annoyance  of  Oowikapun,  who 
had  not  dreamed  of  having  so  severe  a  battle. 
The  traps  were  soon  reset  and  Oowikapun, 
with  the  heavy  wolf  on  his  back,  set  out  for 
his  camp.  As  he  had  set  some  smaller  traps 
for  minks  and  martens  in  a  different  direction, 
he  turned  aside  to  visit  them.  This  would 
cause  him  to  return  to  his  camp  by  another 
trail.  While  moving  along  under  his  heavy 
load  he  was  surprised  to  come  across  the 
snowshoe  tracks  of  another  hunter.  He  ex- 
amined them  carefully,  and  decided  that  they 


C¥^' 


■  -a 


^~2-:.^.~jiLi/,-K'Jt^icii^'^'':^lL?L;^  ^i  /I^a^'j^'i^lfr^i^if^^ 


The  Wolf  Trap. 


zx 


were  made  by  some  person  who  must  have 
passed  along  there  that  very  morning,  early  as 
it  was. 

As  the  trail  of  this  stranger,  whoever  it 
could  be,  v/as  in  the  direction  of  the  traps 
which  Oow^kapun  wished  to  visit,  he  followed 
them  up.  When  he  reached  his  traps  he  found 
that  a  mink  had  been  caught  in  one  of  them, 
but  the  stranger  had  taken  it  out  and  hung  it 
up  in  plain  sight  above  the  trap  on  the  branch 
of  a  tree.  Then  the  stranger,  putting  on  fresh 
bait,  had  reset  the  trap.  Of  course  Oowikapun 
was  pleased  with  this,  and  delighted  that  the 
stranger,  whoever  he  was,  had  acted  so  honestly 
and  kindly  toward  him. 

Fastening  the  mink  in  his  belt  he  hurried  on 
to  his  camp  as  fast  as  he  could  under  his 
heavy  load,  for  his  wounded  arm  had  begun  to 
swell  and  was  causing  him  intense  pain.  His 
stoical  Indian  nature  would  have  caused  him 
to  withstand  the  pain  with  indifference,  but 
when  he  remembered  how  the  wolf,  maddened 
by  his  capture,  had  wrought  himself  up  into 
such  a  frenzy  that  his  mouth  was  all  foaming 
with  madness  when  he  made  that  last  desperate 


12 


OOWIKAPUN. 


Spring  and  succeeded  in  fastening  his  fangs  in 
his  arm,  he  feared  that  perhaps  some  of  the 
froth  might  have  got  into  his  arm,  and  unless 
some  remedies  were  quickly  obtained,  madness 
might  come  to  him,  to  b  followed  by  a  most 
dreadful  death. 

But  what  could  he  do  ?  He  was  several  days' 
journey  from  his  own  village,  and  many  miles 
from  any  hunter  of  his  acquaintance.  He  had, 
in  his  vanity,  come  alone  on  this  hunting  ex- 
pedition, and  now  alone  in  the  woods,  far  away 
from  his  friends,  here  he  is  in  his  little  hunting 
lodge,  a  dap.gerously  wounded  man. 

Fortunately  he  had  taken  the  precaution  of 
sucking  as  many  of  the  wounds  as  he  could 
reach  with  his  mouth,  and  then  had  bound  a 
deerskin  thong  on  his  arm  above  the  wound 
as  tightly  as  he  could  draw  it. 

Very  few,  comparatively,  were  the  diseases 
among  the  aboriginal  tribes  of  America  before 
the  advent  of  the  white  man.  Their  vocation 
as  hunters,  however,  rendered  them  liable  to 
many  accidents. 

Possessing  no  firearms,  and  thus  necessarily 
obliged  to  come  in  close  contact  with  the  sav- 


The  Wolf  Trap. 


13 


age  beasts  in  their  conflict  with  them,  they 
were  often  severely  wounded. 

Fortunate  was  it  for  the  injured  one  if  he 
had  companions  near  when  the  bone  was  frac- 
tured or  the  flesh  torn.  If,  when  accidents  oc- 
cur, the  injuries  are  not  considered  very 
desperate,  a  little  camp  is  improvised  and  with 
a  day  or  two  of  rest,  with  some  simple  rem- 
edies from  nature's  great  storehouse — the 
forest — a  cure  is  quickly  effected.  If  a  leg  or 
arm  is  broken,  a  stretcher  of  young  saplings  is 
skillfully  prepared,  interwoven  with  broad 
bands  of  soft  bark,  and  on  this  elastic,  easy 
couch  the  wounded  man  is  rapidly  carried  to 
his  distant  wigwam  by  his  companions. 

When  there  are  but  two  persons,  and  an  ac- 
cident happens  to  one  of  them,  two  young 
trees  that  are  tough  and  elastic  are  used.  Then 
tops  of  small  branches  are  allowed  to  remain, 
and  very  much  diminish  the  jolting  caused  by 
the  inequalities  of  the  ground.  No  carriage 
spring  ever  more  successfully  accomplished  its 
purpose.  A  couple  of  .  "oss  bars  preserve  the 
saplings  in  position,  and  the  bark  of  some  va- 
rieties of  shrubs  or  trees  cut  into  bands  and 


If 


14 


OOWIKAPUN. 


joined  to  either  side  forms  a  comfortable 
couch.  In  this  way  an  injured  man  has  often 
been  dragged  many  miles  by  his  companion, 
and  in  some  instances  it  has  been  found  on  his 
arrival  at  his  forest  home  that  the  fractured 
bones  were  uniting,  and  soon  the  limb  was 
whole  again. 

With  these  healthy,  simple  children  of  the 
forest  wounds  heal  with  great  rapidity  and 
fractured  bones  soon  unite.  This  reparative 
power  of  the  Indians  when  injured  is  only  par- 
alleled by  the  wonderful  stoicism  with  which 
they  bear  injuries,  and  at  times  inflict  upon 
themselves  the  severest  torture.  With  flints 
as  substitutes  for  lances,  they  will  cut  open  the 
largest  abscesses  to  the  very  bone.  They  will 
amputate  limbs  with  their  hunting  knives, 
checking  the  hemorrhage  with  red-hot  stones 
as  was  done  long  years  ago  by  the  surgeons 
of  Europe. 

With  marvelous  nerve  many  a  wounded 
hunter  or  warrior  has  been  known  to  amputate 
his  own  limb,  or  sew  up  with  sinew  the  gaping 
wounds  received  in  conflict  with  the  hostile  foe 
or  savage  beast.    They  were  cognizant  of  the 


The  Wolf  Trap. 


»S 


value,  and  extensively  used  warm  fomentations. 
If  rheumatism  or  c.iier  kindred  diseases  as- 
sailed them,  the  Turkish  bath  in  a  very  simple 
form  was  often  used.  Sometimes  a  close  tent 
of  deerskins  served  the  purpose.  The  patient 
was  put  in  a  little  tent  where,  in  a  hollow  under 
him,  heated  stones  were  placed,  over  which 
water  was  thrown  until  the  confined  air  was 
heated  to  the  required  temperature  and  satu- 
rated with  the  steam. 

Oowikapun  had  fortunately  broken  no  bones 
in  his  battle  with  the  savage  wolf,  but  he  knew 
that  his  wounds  were  dangerous.  Some  of 
them  were  so  situated  in  his  arm  that  he  could 
not  reach  them  with  his  mouth  in  order  that 
he  might  suck  out  the  poisonous  saliva  of  the 
wolf  that  he  feared  might  be  in  them,  and  it 
now  being  in  the  depth  of  winter,  he  could  not 
obtain  the  medicinal  herbs  which  the  Indians 
use  as  poultices  for  dangerous  wounds  of  this 
description. 

While  brooding  over  his  misfortune  he  sud- 
denly remembered  the  snowshoe  tracks  of  the 
stranger,  and  at  once  resolved  to  try  and  find 
his  lodge,  and  secure  help.     To  decide  was  to 


^  1 


i6 


OOWIKAPUN. 


act.  The  few  preparations  necessary  were 
soon  made,  and  taking  the  most  direct  route 
to  the  spot  where  he  had  last  seen  the  trail  of 
the  stranger  he  was  soon  in  it.  He  was  un- 
certain at  first  whether  to  go  backward  or  for- 
ward on  it  in  order  to  reach  the  wigwam,  for 
he  had  not  the  remotest  idea  whether  these 
tracks  led  to  it  or  from  it.  But  his  native 
shrewdness  came  into  play  to  solve  the  ques- 
tion. First  he  noticed  from  the  way  the  shoes 
sunk  in  the  snow  that  the  man  was  carrying  a 
heavy  load ;  next  he  observed  that  the  tracks 
were  not  like  those  of  a  hunter  going  out  from 
his  home,  moving  about  cautiously  looking  for 
game,  but  were  rather  those  of  a  man  well 
loaded  from  a  successful  hunt,  and  pushing  on 
straight  for  home  with  his  burden.  Quickly 
had  he  read  these  things  and  arrived  at  his  con- 
clusions ;  so  he  resolved  to  go  on  with  the  trail, 
and  he  was  not  disappointed.  He  had  traveled 
only  a  few  miles,  ere  in  a  pleasant  grove  of  bal- 
sam trees,  on  the  borders  of  a  little  ice-covered 
lake,  he  discovered,  by  the  ascending  smoke 
from  the  top,  the  wigwam  of  his  unknown 
friend. 


The  Wolf  Trap. 


17 


Without  hesitancy  he  marched  up  to  it,  and 
lifting  th^  large  moose  skin  which  served  as  its 
only  door,  he  stooped  down  and  entered  in. 
A  pleasant  fire  was  burning  on  the  ground  in 
the  center,  and  partly  circled  around  it  was  the 
Indian  family.  As  though  Oowikapun  had 
been  long  looked  for  as  an  expected,  honored 
guest,  he  was  cordially  welcomed  in  quiet  In- 
dian style  and  directed  to  a  comfortable  place 
in  the  circle,  the  seat  of  the  stranger.  The 
pipe  of  peace  was  handed  to  him,  and  but  few 
words  were  spoken  until  he  had  finished  it. 

Indian  eyes  are  sharp,  even  if  at  times  words 
are  few ;  and  it  was  not  many  minutes  before 
the  owner  of  the  wigwam  saw  that  something 
was  wrong,  and  so  he  drew  from  him  the  story 
of  the  killing  of  the  wolf  and  his  fears  that 
perhaps  all  the  froth  from  his  teeth  had  not 
been  rubbed  off  by  the  leather  shirt  and  other 
covering  through  which  they  had  passed  as 
they  pierced  into  his  arm. 

If  Oowikapun  had  traveled  a  thousand  miles 
he  could  not  have  been  more  fortunate  than 
he  was  in  the  man  to  whom  he  had  gone ;  for 
this  man  was  Memotas,  the  best  Indian  doctor 


t^  :|i 


i8 


OOWIKAPUN. 


in  all  that  vast  country,  who,  when  his  hunting 
seasons  were  over,  spent  his  time  in  studying 
the  medicinal  qualities  of  the  roots  and  herbs 
of  the  country  which  the  Good  Spirit  had 
created  for  some  good  purpose,  and  then  in 
being  a  benediction  and  a  blessing  to  the 
afflicted  ones  by  their  use  among  them,  with 
but  very  little  fee  or  reward,  as  a  general  thing, 
in  return. 

Quickly  did  Memotas  apply  his  remedies, 
both  external  and  internal,  for  he  knew  the 
risks  the  man  was  running ;  and  he  gently  in- 
sisted on  his  remaining  in  his  wigwam  as  his 
guest  for  several  days  until  he  was  recovered 
from  his  wounds.  He  would  not  even  hear  of 
his  going  to  visit  his  traps,  for  fear  of  his  heat- 
ing his  blood  by  the  vigorous  exercise,  and  thus 
aggravating  the  wounds.  So  Memotas  himself 
looked  after  them,  and  several  times  returned 
with  rich  spoils  of  fur-bearing  animals,  which 
he  gladly  handed  over  to  the  grateful  man. 

These  great  kindnesses  completely  won  the 
heart  of  Oowikapun,  who  considered  himself 
very  fortunate  in  finding  so  kind  a  friend  in 
his  hours  of  need.     The  kind-hearted  wife  of 


Thk  Wolf  Trap 


'9 


Mcmotas  was  also  interested  in  Oowikapun, 
and  did  all  she  could  to  add  to  his  comfort  and 
hasten  his  recovery.  The  injured  man  had 
been  surprised  at  the  kindness  and  respect 
which  Memotas  constantly  manifested  toward 
her,  and  was  amazed  that  he  often  asked  her 
advice.  He  did  not,  as  the  married  men  with 
whom  Oowikapun  v.  is  acquainted,  treat  her 
unkindly,  nor  even  consider  her  as  much 
inferior  to  himself. 

While  Memotas's  wife,  whose  Indian  name 
was  Meyooachimoowin,  was  very  industrious, 
and  kept  her  wigwam  and  her  children  tidy  and 
clean,  yet  she  was  never  considered  as  merely 
a  drudge  and  a  slave  and  left  to  do  all  the 
heavy  work.  Strange  to  say,  she  was  not 
allowed  to  cut  the  wood  in  the  forest  and  then 
drag  it  home.  Neither  did  she  carry  the  heavy 
buckets  of  water  up  from  the  lake,  as  other  In- 
dian women  were  accustomed  to  do.  Nor  did 
she  go  out  into  the  woods,  perhaps  miles 
away,  and  carry  home  on  her  back  the  deer 
which  her  husband  had  shot.  Memotas  never 
would  allow  her  to  do  anything  of  the  kind. 
He   did   all  this   himself,   and   seemed    even 


.1 

* 


20 


OOWIKAPUN. 


anxious  to  save  her  from  fatigue  and  toil. 
Then  when  the  meals  were  prepared  she  was 
not  gruffly  sent  away  to  wait  until  the  men 
had  eaten,  but  with  them  and  the  children  she 
sat  down  on  terms  of  perfect  equality. 

Then,  as  regards  the  children,  a  boy  and 
girl,  whom  they  called  Mcyookesik  and  Saga- 
stao,  he  noticed  that  the  girl  was  just  as  much 
loved  and  petted  as  the  boy,  and  even  as 
kindly  treated.  This  was  a  state  of  affairs  en- 
tirely unknown  in  the  wigwams  of  the  pagan  In- 
dians. There  the  boys  are  petted  and  spoiled 
and  early  taught  to  be  proud  and  haughty,  and 
to  consider  that  all  girls  and  women,  even 
their  own  sisters  and  mother,  are  much  in- 
ferior to  them,  and  only  worthy  of  their  kicks 
and  contempt.  The  boys  get  the  best  of 
everything  and  are  allowed  to  eat  ^vith  the 
men  first ;  while  the  poor  women  and  girls 
have  to  wait  until  they  are  finished,  and  then 
be  content  with  what  is  left,  often  not  much ; 
and  even  then  they  have  to  struggle  with  the 
dogs  for  the  fragments.  The  result  is  they  are 
often  half  starved. 


A  Contrast. 


•I 


CHAPTER  II. 
A  Contrast. 

' " """jOWIKAPUN  was  bewildered  at  the 

fj  I  marvelous  contrast  between  what  he 
I  had  been  accustomed  to  witness  in 
the  wretched  wigwams  and  Hves  of 
his  own  people  and  what  he  here  saw  in  this 
bright  little  tent  of  Mcmotas.  It  was  all  so  new 
and  strange  to  him.  Everybody  seemed  so 
happy.  There  were  no  rude  words  said  by  the 
boy  to  his  mother  and  no  tyrannizing  over  his 
sister.  With  equal  affection  Memotas  treated 
Meyookesik  and  Sagastao,  and  great  indeed 
was  his  kindness  and  attention  to  his  wife.  At 
first  Oowikapun's  old  prejudices  and  defective 
education  as  regards  women  almost  made  him 
believe  that  Memotas  was  lacking  in  brave, 
manly  qualities  to  allow  his  wife  and  daughter 
to  be  on  such  loving  terms  of  equality  with 
himself  and  his  son.  But  when  he  became  bet- 
ter acquainted  with  him,  he  found  that  this 
was  not  the  case. 


P! 


[!■ 


•  • 


OoWIKAl'UN. 


Oowikapun  could  not  then  solve  this  ques- 
tion, neither  did  he  until  in  after  years  he  be- 
came a  Christian. 

There  was  one  custom  observed  in  the  wig- 
wam of  Memotas  that  gave  Oowikapun  more 
surprise  than  any  of  these  to  which  we  have 
referred,  for  it  was  something  which  he  had 
never  heard  of  nor  seen  before.  It  was  that  in 
the  morning  and  evening  Memotas  would  take 
out  of  a  bag  a  little  book  printed  in  strange 
characters,  and  read  from  it  while  his  wife  and 
children  reverently  and  quietly  sat  around  him 
and  listened  to  the  strange  words.  Then  they 
would  sing  in  a  manner  so  different  from  the 
wild,  droning,  rronotonous  songs  of  the  con- 
jurers, that  Oowikapun  was  filled  with  a  strange 
feeling  of  awe,  which  was  much  increased  when 
they  all  knelt  down  reverently  on  the  ground 
and  Memotas  seemed  to  talk  with  the  Great 
Spirit  and  call  him  his  Father.  Then  he 
thanked  him  for  all  their  blessings,  and  asked 
his  forgiveness  for  everything  they  had  done 
that  was  wrong,  and  he  asked  his  blessing  upon 
his  family  and  everybody  else,  even  upon  his 
enemies,  if  he  had  any.      Then  he  besought 


■\ 


lii 


A  Contrast. 


23 


the  Great  Spirit  to  bless  Oowikapun,  and  not 
only  heal  his  wounds,  but  take  the  darkness 
from  his  mind  and  make  him  his  child.  He 
always  ended  his  prayers  by  asking  the  Great 
Spirit  to  do  all  these  things  Tor  the  sake  of  his 
Son  Jesus. 

All  this  was  very  strange  and  even  startling 
to  Oowikapun.  He  had  lived  all  his  life  in  a 
land  dark  with  superstition  and  paganism. 
The  Gospel  had  as  yet  never  been  proclaimed 
there.  The  name  of  Jesus  had  never  been 
heard  in  that  wild  north  land,  and  so  as  none  of 
the  blessedness  of  religion  had  entered  into  the 
hearts  of  the  people,  so  none  of  its  sweet,  lov- 
ing, elevating  influences  had  begun  to  ennoble 
and  bless  their  lives  and  improve  their  habits. 
So  he  pondered  over  what  he  witnessed  and 
heard,  and  was  thankful  when  the  day's  hunt- 
ing was  over,  and  Memotas  would  talk  to  him 
as  they  sat  there  on  their  robes  around  the 
fire,  often  for  hours  at  a  time.  From  him  he 
learned  how  it  was  that  they  had  so  changed 
in  many  of  their  ways.  Memotas  told  him  of  ' 
the  coming  to  Norway  House  of  the  first  mis- 
sionary, the  Rev.  James  Evans,  with  the  book 


24 


OOWIKAPUN. 


f:  ri 


I  i« 


of  heaven,  the  words  of  the  Good  Spirit  to  his 
children.  He  told  him  many  of  the  wonder- 
ful things  it  speaks  about,  and  that  it  showed 
how  man  was  to  love  and  worship  God,  and 
thus  secure  his  blessing  and  favor.  The  little 
book  which  Memotas  had  was  composed  of 
the  four  gospels  only.  These  Mr.  Evans  had 
had  printed  at  the  village  in  Indian  letters, 
which  he  had  invented  and  called  "  syllabic 
characters."  They  are  so  easily  learned  by 
the  Indians,  that  in  a  few  weeks  th'x'e  who 
were  diligent  in  their  studies  were  able  tore^d 
fluently  those  portions  of  the  word  of  God  al- 
ready translated  for  them,  as  well  as  a  number 
of  beautiful  hymns.  Oowikapun  had  never 
heard  of  such  things,  and  was  so  amazed  and 
confounded  that  he  could  hardly  believe  that 
he  was  in  his  right  mind,  especially  when 
Memotas,  to  try  and  give  him  some  idea  of 
the  syllabic  characters  in  which  his  little  book 
was  printed,  made  little  sentences  with  a  piece 
of  coal  on  birch  bark,  and  then  handed  them 
to  his  wife  and  children,  who  easily  read  out 
what  had  been  written.  That  birch  bark  could 
talk,  as  he  expressed  it,  was  a  mystery  indeed. 


i  J 


A  Contrast. 


25 


When  the  time  came  for  Oovvikapun  to  re- 
turn to  his  home  Memotas  went  with  him 
quite  a  distance.  He  had  become  very  much 
interested  in  him,  and  being  a  happy  Chris- 
tian himself,  he  was  anxious  that  this  man, 
who  had  come  to  him  and  been  benefited 
physically,  should  hear  about  his  soul's  need, 
and  the  great  Physician  who  could  heal  all  its 
diseases.  Lovingly  and  faithfully  he  talked 
to  him  and  urged  him  to  accept  of  this  great 
salvation.  Then  he  asked  him  to  kneel  down 
with  him,  and  there,  alone  with  him  and  God, 
Memotas  prayed  earnestly  that  this  dark  pagan 
brother  might  yet  come  into  the  light  of  the 
blessed  Gospel.  Then  he  kissed  him,  and  they 
parted,  not  to  meet  again  for  years. 

Happy  would  it  have  been  for  Oowikapun 
if  he  had  responded  to  Memotas's  entreaties 
and  become  a  Christian,  but  the  heart  is  hard 
and  blinded  as  well  as  deceitful,  and  the  devil 
is  cunning.  So  long,  sad  years  passed  by  ere 
Oowikapun,  after  trying,  as  we  shall  see,  other 
ways  to  find  peace  and  soul  comfort,  humbled 
himself  at  the  cross,  and  found  peace  in  believ- 
ing on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 


s; 
it 


^ 


7    f 


26 


OOWIKAPUN. 


Oowikapun  returned  to  his  little  lodge,  re- 
kindled the  fire,  and  tried  to  enter  upon  his 
hunting  life  where  he  had  left  off  when 
wounded  by  the  wolf.  He  stretched  the  furs 
already  secured,  and  then  early  next  morning 
visited  his  traps  and  spent  the  rest  of  the  day 
hunting  for  deer.  His  success  was  not  very 
great ;  the  fact  is,  what  he  had  heard  and  wit- 
nessed during  the  days  of  his  sojourn  in  the 
wigwam  of  Memotas  had  given  him  so  much 
food  for  thought  that  he  was  not  concentrating 
his  mind  on  his  work  in  a  manner  that  would 
bring  success.  He  would  sometimes  get  into 
a  reverie  so  absorbing  that  he  would  stop  in 
the  trail  and  strive  to  think  over  and  over 
again  what  he  had  heard  about  the  good  book 
and  its  teachings.  Very  suddenly  one  day  was 
he  roused  out  of  one  of  these  reveries.  He 
had  gone  out  to  visit  some  traps  which  he  had 
set  in  a  place  where  he  had  noticed  the  tracks 
of  wild  cats.  While  going  along  through  a 
dense  forest  with  his  gun  strapped  on  his  back 
he  got  so  lost  in  thought  that  his  naturally 
shrewd  instincts  as  a  hunter,  sharpened  by 
practice,  seemed  to  have  deserted  him,  and  he 


Ige,  rc- 
lon  his 

when 
le  furs 
orning 
le  day 
t  very 
id  wit- 
in  the 

much 
rating 
would 
t  into 
top  in 
1  over 

book 
y  was 
He 
e  had 
tracks 
jgh  a 

back 
u  rally 
d  by 
nd  he 


HI    W 


i'     y 


'^r 


^-^.-    v<- 


"  Oowikapun  sprang  back  to  the  nearest  tree." 


#" 


"^1^' 


t 


A  Contrast. 


39 


7:* 


nearly  stumbled  over  a  huge,  old  she  bear  and 
a  couple  of  young  cubs.  With  a  growl  of  rage 
at  being  thus  disturbed  the  fierce  brute  rushed 
at  him,  and  quickly  broke  up  his  reverie  and 
brought  him  back  to  a  sense  of  present  dan- 
ger. To  unstrap  his  gun  in  time  for  its  suc- 
cessful use  was  impossible,  but  the  ever-ready 
sharp  pointed  knife  was  available,  and  so 
Oowikapun,  accustomed  to  such  battles,  al 
though  never  before  taken  so  unexpectedly, 
sprang  back  to  the  nearest  tree,  which  fortu- 
nately for  him  was  close  at  hand.  With  a  large 
tree  at  his  back,  and  a  good  knife  in  his  hand, 
an  experienced  Indian  has  the  advantage  on 
his  side  and  can  generally  kill  his  savage  an- 
tagonist without  receiving  a  wound,  but  if  at- 
tacked by  a  black  bear  in  the  open  plain, 
when  armed  with  only  a  knife,  the  hunter  very 
rarely  kills  his  enemy  without  receiving  a  fear- 
ful hug  or  some  dangerous  wornds. 

One  of  the  first  bits  of  advice  which  an  old, 
experienced  Indian  hunter  gives  to  a  young 
hunter,  be  he  white  or  Indian,  who  goes  out 
anxious  to  kill  a  bear,  or  who  may  possibly 
while  hunting  for  other  game  be  attacked  by 


30 


OOWIKAPUN. 


! 


one,  is  to  get  his  back  up  against  a  tree  so 
large  that  if  the  bear  is  not  killed  by  the  bul- 
let of  his  gun,  he  may  be  in  the  best  possible 
position  to  fight  him  with  his  knife.  It  will 
be  no  child's  play,  for  a  wounded,  maddened 
bear  is  a  fierce  foe.  The  black  bear's  method 
of  trying  to  kill  his  human  antagonist  is  quite 
different  from  that  of  the  grizzly  bear  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains.  The  grizzly  strikes  out 
with  his  dreadful  claws  with  such  force  that 
he  can  tear  a  man  to  pieces  and  is  able  to 
crush  down  a  horse  under  his  powerful  blows, 
but  the  black  bear  tries  to  get  the  hunter  in 
his  long,  strong,  armlike  fore  legs,  and  then 
crush  him  to  death.  The  hug  cf  a  bear,  as 
some  hunters  know  to  their  cost,  is  a  warm, 
close  embrace.  Some  who,  by  the  quick,  skill- 
ful use  of  their  knives,  or  by  the  prompt  ar- 
rival of  a  rescue  party,  have  been  rescued  from 
the  almost  deathly  hug,  have  told  me  how 
their  ribs  have  been  broken  and  their  breast- 
bones almost  crushed  in  by  the  terrible  em- 
brace. I  know  of  several  who  have  been  in 
such  conflict,  and  although  they  managed  to 
escape    death    by   driving   their  knives    into 


A  Contrast. 


31 


tree  so 
he  bul- 
^ossible 
It  will 
iddened 
method 
is  quite 
-  of  the 
kes  out 
"ce  that 
able  to 
il  blows, 
unter  in 
iid  then 
jear,  as 
warm, 
<,  skill- 
mpt  ar- 
ed  from 
le    how 
breast- 
ble  em- 
been  in 
aged  to 
es    into 


some  vital  spot,  yet  they  had  suffered  so  much 
from  broken  ribs  and  other  injuries  received* 
that  they  were  never  as  strong  and  vigorous 
afterward.  But  with  a  good  tree  at  his  back, 
his  trusty  knife  in  his  hand,  and  his  brain 
cool,  the  advantage  is  all  on  the  side  of  the 
hunter. 

Among  the  many  stories  told  of  such  con- 
flicts, there  is  one  by  a  Canadian  Indian  which 
shows  that  even  the  women  know  how  to  suc- 
cessfully conquer  in  these  encounters.  This 
hunter  was  out  looking  for  game,  and  had  suc- 
ceeded in  killing  a  deer,  which  he  left  in  the 
woods  with  his  wife,  skinning  it,  while  he  re- 
turned to  his  wigwam  for  his  sled  on  which  to 
drag  it  home,  as  it  was  a  large  one.  It  was  in 
the  spring  of  the  year  and  there  was  still  snow 
on  the  ground.  A  great,  hungry  bear  that 
had  just  left  his  den  after  his  long  winter's 
sleep  of  months,  while  prowling  about  looking 
for  food,  got  on  the  scent  of  the  blood  of  the 
newly  killed  deer,  and  following  it  up  soon 
reached  the  spot  where  the  Indian  woman  was 
skinning  the  animal.  She  had  just  time  to 
spring  up  with  the  knife  in  her  hand  and  back 


li 


t 


39  OOWIKAPUN. 

Up  against  a  tree  before  the  half-famished 
brute  sprang  on  the  partly  skinned  animal  and 
began  devouring  it.  Seeing  the  woman  so 
close,  he  seemed  to  think  it  best  to  get  rid  of 
her  before  eating  his  meat,  so  with  a  growl  he 
rushed  at  her.  He  raised  himself  up  on  his 
hind  legs  and  tried  to  get  his  fore  paws  around 
her,  and  thus  crush  her  to  death.  She  was  a 
brave  woman  and  knew  what  to  do.  Holding 
the  knife  firmly  in  her  hand,  she  waited  until 
his  hot  breath  was  in  her  face  and  he  was  try- 
ing to  crowd  his  paws  in  between  her  back 
and  the  tree  against  which  she  was  pressing 
herself  with  all  her  might,  then  with  all  her 
force  she  plunged  the  sharp  pointed  knife 
into  his  body  in  the  region  of  his  li^art  and 
gave  it  a  quick,  sharp  turn.  So  thoroughly 
and  well  did  she  do  her  work  that  the  great, 
fierce  brute  could  only  throw  up  his  paws  and 
fall  over  dead.  The  brave  squaw  had  killed 
him  without  receiving  a  scratch  herself,  and 
when  her  husband  returned  with  his  sled  he 
found  that,  n3t  only  had  his  wife  skinned  the 
deer,  but  also  a  big  black  bear. 


Oowikahun's  Vision. 


33 


mishcd 
lal  and 
"nan  so 
t  rid  of 
owl  he 

on  his 
around 
;  was  a 
lolding 
:d  until 
vas  try- 
;r  back 
)ressinf; 

all  her 
knife 
art  and 

oughly 
great, 

ws  and 
killed 

If,  and 

led  he 

led  the 


CHAPTER  III. 
Oowikapun's  Vision. 

10  Oowikapun,  though  taken  off  his 
^    I     guard    for  once,  was   soon   himself 

'  again,  and  ere  the  infuriated  brute 
could  get  her  paws  around  him,  one 
quick,  vigorous  thrust  of  his  knife  was  suffi- 
cient;  and  his  antagonist,  armed  only  with 
teeth  and  claws,  lay  dead  before  him.  So 
sudden  had  been  the  attack,  and  so  quickly 
had  come  the  deliverance,  that  for  the  first 
time  in  his  life  Oowikapun  offered  up  as  well 
as  he  could  words  of  thanksgiving  to  the 
Great  Spirit  for  his  escape.  In  his  own  crude 
way  and  with  the  Indian's  naturally  religious 
instinct  and  traditions,  he  had  believed  in  the 
existence  of  a  Good  Spirit,  which  he  called 
Kissa-Manito ;  and  also  in  the  existence  of  a 
bad  spirit,  whose  name  was  Muche-Manito  ; 
but  in  what  little  worship  he  had  engaged 
heretofore  he  had  endeavored  to  propitiate 
and  turn  away  the  malice  of  the  evil  spirit, 


r 


34 


OoWl'sAI'UN. 


rather  than  to  worship  the  Ciood  Spirit,  in 
whom  all  Indians  believe,  but  about  whom  he 
had  very  vague  ideas  until  his  visit  to  the 
Christian  hunter's  wigwam.  Now,  however, 
even  before  he  skinned  the  bear,  as  the  result 
of  that  visit,  he  prayed  to  that  Good  Spirit, 
the  giver  of  all  his  blessings,  and  was  grateful 
for  his  deliverance.  Would  that  he  had  con- 
tinued trying  to  pray,  even  if  he  had  received 
as  yet  but  little  instruction  in  the  right  way  ! 

He  was  glad  to  get  the  meat  and  skin  of 
the  bear  and  also  the  two  little  cubs,  which  he 
easily  captured  alive.  Bending  down  some 
small  trees,  he  tied  the  greater  portion  of  the 
meat  in  the  tops  and  then  let  them  swing  up 
again,  as  he  could  not  carry  much  back  with 
him  in  addition  to  the  skin  and  the  two  frisky 
little  bears.  This  plan  of  caching  supplies  in 
the  tops  of  small  trees,  as  the  Indians  call  it, 
is  almost  the  only  way  that  things  can  be 
safely  left  In  the  woods  where  so  many  wild 
animals  are  prowling  about.  If  the  meat  were 
put  up  in  the  branches  of  a  large  tree,  the 
wolverines  or  wild  cats  would  soon  get  on  the 
scent  of  it,  and  being  able  to  climb  the  trees, 


Oowikai'un's  Vision. 


35 


irit,   in 

lom  he 

to  the 

)\vever, 

;  result 

Spirit, 

jrateful 

id  con- 

sceived 

way  ! 

skin  of 

lich  he 

I   some 

of  the 

ing  up 

k  with 

frisky 

)lies  in 

call  it, 

can  be 

y  wild 

It  were 

ie,   the 

on  the 

?  trees, 


would  quickly  make  short  work  of  it.  I  f  buried 
in  the  ground,  these  animals,  or  perhaps  the 
gray  wolves,  would  soon  get  it ;  but  bury  it  in 
the  tops  of  the  small  trees  which  the  animals 
cannot  climb,  and  which  they  have  not  wit 
enough  to  cut  down  with  their  teeth,  the  cache 
is  safe  until  the  owner  comes  for  it. 

Thus  Oowikapun  hunted  until  the  season 
was  almost  ended  ;  and  then  making  a  long 
light  sled,  he  packed  on  it  his  furs  and  camp- 
ing outfit,  and  the  two  little  bears,  which  had 
become  quite  tame,  and  started  out  on  his 
return  journey  to  his  far-away  northern  home. 
Loaded  as  he  was,  he  saw  it  would  take  him 
several  days  to  make  the  journey,  and  so  he 
resolved  to  go  a  little  out  of  his  way  and  visit 
a  village  of  Indians,  at  the  meeting  place  of 
three  rivers,  and  spend  a  little  time  with  them, 
as  they  were  of  the  same  tribe  as  his  own 
people,  and  some  of  them  were  distant  relatives. 
Unfortunately  for  him  they  were  in  the  midst  of 
one  of  their  superstitious  dances.  The  dances 
and  sacrifices  of  dogs  were  a  kind  of  propitiatory 
offering  to  the  Muche-Manito,  the  devil,  to 
put  him  in  good  humor,  so  that  he  would  not 


it 


\ 


36 


OOWIKAPUN. 


interfere  with  them  and  prevent  their  having 
great  success  in  the  coming   spring  hunt.     Of 

was 


course  Oowikapun 


invited  to  join  in  the 


dance,  but  much  to  their  surprise  he  at  first 
refused.  This  they  could  not  understand,  as 
in  previous  visits  he  had  been  eager  to  spring 
into  the  magic  circle  and  display  his  agility 
and  powers  of  endurance.  When  questioned 
as  to  his  reasons  for  declining,  he  told  them  of 
his  visit  to  the  camp  of  Memotas  and  what  he 
had  heard  and  witnessed.  They  gathered 
around  him  and,  Indianlike,  patiently  listened 
in  silence  until  he  had  told  them  his  story. 
Unfortunately  it  was  not  only  received  with 
incredulity,  but  with  scorn.  The  men  were 
astounded,  and  indignantly  exclaimed :  '*  So 
he  lets  his  wife  eat  with  him,  does  he  ?  and 
cuts  the  wood  himself,  and  carries  the  water 
and  prays  to  the  Kissa-Manito  .o  bless  his 
enemies,  instead  of  trying  to  poison  or  shoot 
them  !  That  is  the  white  man's  religion,  is  it? 
which  that  Memotas  has  accepted.  Well,  let 
him  keep  it.  It  is  not  what  we  want.  As  our 
fathers  lived  and  died  so  will  we.  Don't  be  a 
fool,  Oowikapun.     You  will  be  wanting  one  of 


Oowikapun's  Vision. 


37 


our  daughters  one  of  these  days  to  be  your 
wife  ;  then  if  you  treat  her  like  Memotas  treats 
his,  she  will  be  coming  back  and  telling  our 
women  all  about  it,  and  there  will  be  a  pretty 
fuss.  O  no;  this  will  never  do.  Vou  have 
had  bad  medicine  thrown  into  your  eyes,  and 
you  do  not  see  straight." 

Thus  they  answered  him ;  and  day  after 
day  they  bantered  him,  until  at  length  the 
poor  fellow — anxious  to  follow  the  entreaties 
of  Memotas,  but  as  yet  unconscious  of  the 
divine  power  which  he  might  have  had  if  only 
he  had  asked  for  it,  and  so  lacking  the  strength 
to  resist  the  entreaties  of  his  heathen  friends, 
especially  when  he  heard  from  lying  conjurers 
that  even  tjie  black-eyed  maidens  were  talking 
about  his  strange  unwillingness  to  join  in  the 
religious  ceremonies  for  success  in  the  hunt — 
yielded  to  the  tempter's  power,  and  sprang 
into  the  circle,  and  with  wild  abandon  engaged 
in  the  dance.  Madly  and  recklessly  he  danced 
to  the  monotonous  drummings  of  the  wicked 
old  conjurers  and  medicine  men,  who  had  beep 
fearful  that  they  were  about  to  lose  their  grip 
upon   him.     A  wild   fienzy   seemed   to   have 


k 


*  ill 


1    t 


I  I' 


l! 


Ps 


38 


OOVVIKAPUN. 


entered  into  him,  and  so  he  danced  on  and  on 
until  even  his  hardened,  stalwart  frame  could 
stand  it  no  longer,  and  suddenly  he  fell  upon 
the  ground  in  a  state  of  unconsciousness,  and 
had  to  be  carried  away  to  a  little  wigwam, 
where  on  a  bed  of  spruce  branches  he  was  left 
to  recover  consciousness  when  he  might. 

Such  occurrences  among  the  Indians  in  their 
wild  state  when  celebrating  some  of  their  re- 
ligious ceremonies,  such  as  this  de-'il  worship 
or  their  sun  or  ghost  dances,  were  not  at  all 
uncommon.  Wrought  up  to  a  state  of  frenzy, 
som.e  of  these  devotees  ceased  not  their  wild 
dancings  day  or  night,  sometimes  for  three 
days  continuously  ;  and  then  when  utterly  ex- 
hausted fell  into  a  deathly  swoon,  which  often 
continued  for  many  hours.  In  this  sad  plight 
was  poor  Oowikapun. 

Tor  hours  he  remained  more  like  a  corpse 
than  a  living  being,  in  a  state  of  absolute  un- 
consciousness, and  without  an  apparent  move- 
ment of  either  muscle  or  limb.  After  a  time 
the  mind  began  to  act,  and  strange  and  dis- 
torted dreams  and  visions  flitted  through  his 
disordered  mind  and  troubled  him.     At  first 


Oowikapun's  Vision. 


39 


all  was  confusion  and  discord.  Then  there 
came  to  him  something  more  like  a  vision 
than  a  dream,  and  so  vividly  was  it  impressed 
upon  him  that  it  was  never  forgotten. 

Here  it  is  as  told  me  years  after.  Oowika- 
pun  dreamed  that  ho  was  one  of  a  large  com- 
pany of  his  people  wlio  were  on  a  long 
journey,  which  all  had  to  take.  It  led  them 
over  high  mountains  and  trackless  plains, 
along  swift  rivers  and  across  stormy  lakes, 
through  great  forests,  where  fierce  wild  beasts 
were  ever  ready  to  spring  upon  them,  and 
where  quaking  bogs  were  in  the  way  to  swallow 
up  those  who  were  for  a  moment  off  their 
guard.  The  company  was  constantly  diminish- 
ing as  they  journeyed  on,  for  the  dangers  were 
so  many  that  death  in  various  forms  was  con- 
stantly cutting  them  off.  The  survivors,  full 
of  sadness,  and  hurried  on  by  some  irresistible 
impulse,  could  not  stop  long  in  the  way.  All 
they  could  do  was  to  give  those  who  had 
fallen  a  hasty  burial  and  then  join  in  the 
onward  march. 

Darker  and    darker   became   tlie    sky,   and 
worse  and  worse  seemed  the  way ;  still  they 


is 
1 1 


40 


OOWIKAPUN. 


! 


4 


were  impelled  on  and  on.  They  had  to  cross 
the  wide,  ptotmy  lakes,  and  in  every  one  of 
them  some  of  the  party  were  lost.  In  every 
rough  portage  some  fell  fainting  by  the  way, 
and  sank  down  to  rise  no  more.  The  crouch- 
ing panther  and  the  fierce  wolves  in  the  dense 
forests  were  ever  on  the  alert,  and  many  a  man 
and  woman,  and  even  some  of  the  little  children, 
fell  victims  to  these  .,avage  beasts.  A  feeling  of 
sadness  and  despair  seemed  to  take  possession 
of  all.  Vainly  they  called  upon  the  conjurers 
and  medicinemen  to  get  help  from  their  Mani- 
tos  to  make  the  ways  easier  and  their  sorrows 
less,  and  to  find  out  for  them  why  they  were 
traveling  on  this  trail,  and  the  place  to  which 
it  led. 

Very  unsatisfactory  were  the  answers  which 
they  received.  They  had  no  information  to 
give  about  the  trail ;  yet  some  said  that  they 
had  heard  from  their  forefathers  that  there  was 
d  place  called  the  happy  hunting  grounds  be- 
yond the  high  mountains ;  but  the  way  was 
long  and  dark,  and  they  had  no  guide  to  lead 
them  in  the  gloom,  none  to  tell  them  how 
they  could  find  the  passes  in  the  mountains. 


Oowikapun's  Vision. 


4' 


they 


While  thus  ahnost  broken-hearted  in  the  way, 
the  thought  came  to  Oowikapun  in  his  dream 
or  vision  that  surely  there  must  be  a  better 
trail  than  this  rough  one,  wherein  so  many  of 
the  people  were  perishing  so  sadly.  With  this 
thought  in  his  mind  he  resolved  if  possible,  to 
break  away  from  the  company,  and  try  to  find 
a  safer  path.  If  he  failed  in  his  efforts  and 
j)erished  miserably  in  his  search,  why,  what 
did  it  matter?  They  were  dying  off  very 
rapidly  where  they  were,  and  things  could  not 
be  worse. 

Then  if  he  succeeded  in  finding  a  better 
road,  where  the  skies  were  bright,  and  the 
storms  came  not,  and  the  portages  were  short 
and  easily  passed,  and  the  breezes  on  the  lakes 
only  wafted  them  on  their  way,  and  no  savage 
beasts  lurked  along  the  trail,  and  he  could  find 
some  one  who  had  been  over  the  way,  or  could 
tell  him  that  it  ended  well,  and  if  he  could 
succeed  in  getting  his  people  in  this  better 
path,  how  rejoiced  he  and  they  would  be  ! 

Then  it  seemed  in  his  dream  that  he  made 
the  effort  to  break  away ;  but  he  told  no  one 
of  what  was  in  his  heart  or  of  his  resolves,  for 


1'  ■  I 


4a 


OOWIKAPUN. 


he  was  afraid  of  being  ridiculed  by  his  com- 
rades  if  he  should  try  and  then  fail  in  his 
efforts.  He  found  it  very  hard  at  first  to  get 
out  from  the  old  trail ;  but  he  persevered  and 
succeeded,  although  but  slowly  at  first.  He 
found  the  way  becoire  smoother,  and  in  some 
way  which  he  could  not  understand  help  was 
being  given  him  several  times  just  when  he 
needed  it.  Cheering  words  and  sweet  songs 
at  times  fell  on  Lis  ears,  and  made  him  for- 
get that  he  w.  a  alone  and  footsore  in  this  try- 
ing work ;  and  once  when  his  way  led  him 
over  a  great  lake,  and  he  was  in  a  little  boat 
in  which  it  seemed  impossible  for  him  to 
reach  the  farther  shore,  and  he  was  about  ♦'o 
give  up  in  despair,  a  strong,  firm  hand  took 
the  little  helm,  and  soon  he  was  safe  at  his 
landing  place. 

From  this  place  the  traveling  was  very  much 
easier,  and  he  journeyed  on,  ever  looking  for 
the  safer  trail  for  his  people.  Seeing  before 
him  a  pleasant  hill,  he  hurried  to  its  summit, 
and  there  before  him  in  the  valley,  stretching 
away  in  the  distance  on  and  on  until  lost  in  a 
golden  cloud  of  brightness,  like  the  sunlight 


Oowikapun's  Vision. 


43 


on  the  waters,  he  saw  a  broad  trail,  smooth 
and  beautiful,  with  a  great  company  of  happy 
people  walking  in  it.  As  he  observed  more 
carefully,  he  saw  that  some  were  Indians,  some 
white  people,  and  some  of  other  colors ;  but 
all  seemed  so  happy,  bright,  and  joyous,  that 
Oowikapun  wept  as  he  thought  of  the  unhappy 
condition  of  his  own  people  in  the  other  trail. 

Wearied  by  his  long  journey,  and  charmed 
by  the  sight  before  him,  he  tarried  there  for 
hours,  and  then  he  thought  he  fell  asleep  ;  and 
while  in  this  condition  a  man  with  a  covered 
face  came  to  him  and  gently  aroused  him,  and 
seeing  that  he  had  been  weeping,  asked  in 
gentle,  sympathetic  tones  why  he  should  weep 
while  before  him  there  was  so  much  joy  and 
gladness. 

Touched  by  the  kindly  manner  of  the  stran- 
ger, Oowikapun  forgot  his  usual  reserve,  and 
told  him  all  that  was  in  his  heart.  While  he 
talked  the  visitor  listened  in  silence  until  he 
had  told  his  sad  story,  and  then  heaving  a 
sigh,  that  seemed  full  of  sorrow,  he  said  to 
Oowikapun  :  '*  Has  not  the  Great  Spirit  pitied 
you  and  tried  to  help  you  ?      Did  he  not  send 


li 


Si 


iu 

1  i 


44 


OOWIKAPUN. 


you  to  the  wigwam  of  one  of  his  followers  to 
give  )  ou  some  directions  about  getting  in  the 
better  way?  Is  he  not  waiting  ajid  watchi  ig 
to  see  how  you  are  using  what  knowledge  you 
have  secured  ?  Why  have  you  so  soon  forgot- 
ten your  first  lesson?"  Then  he  quickly 
moved  to  go,  and  as  he  turned  away  the  cover- 
ing for  an  instant  dropped  from  his  face,  and 
Oowikapun  had  a  glimpse  of  it,  and  it  vividly 
reminded  him  of  Memotas. 


1 

vers  to 

k 

ill  the 

itchi  ijj; 

gc  you 

forgot- 

quickly 

2  covcr- 

Lce,  and 

vividly 

A  Strange  Benefactor. 


45 


CHAPTER    IV. 
A  Strange  Benefactor. 

?— I^JITH  a  start  Oowikapun  awoke  from  his 
I  \^e7  I     long  sleep,  confused  and  bewild^    xl. 


•  ■■■iiaitaiiBiiaiit 


So  vivid  had  been  his  dream  that 
it  was  some  time  before  he  could 
grasp  his  surroundings  and  come  back  to  life's 
realities. 

It  was  a  night  of  intense  darkness.  Fierce, 
cold  winds  came  shrieking  out  of  the  dense 
forest,  and  shook  the  little  bark  tent  into 
which  he  had  been  thrown,  and  whistled 
through  its  many  chinks,  and  made  him 
shiver.  No  cheerful  fire  burned  in  the  center, 
and  there  was  not  a  person  in  the  wigwam  to 
offer  aid.  Every  bone  and  muscle  in  his  body 
seemed  to  ache,  and  his  mind  was  so  dis- 
tracted and  his  nerves  unstrung  that  he  was 
thoroughly  miserable.  He  was  nearly  destitute 
of  clothing,  for  he  had  been  carried  out  from 
the  circle  just  as  he  had  danced  and  fallen, 
and  now  here  he  was  nearly  naked  and  shiver- 


t 


46 


OOWIKAPUN. 


i* 


;:. 


i 


3 


ing  with  the  cold.  Vainly  he  felt  about  for  his 
fire  b'Ag,  in  which  he  carried  his  flint  and 
steel,  that  he  might  strike  a  light ;  but  in  the 
inky  darkness  nothing  could  be  found.  Only 
a  visitor  in  the  village,  he  felt,  with  Indian  r*:- 
serve,  that  it  would  be  a  great  breach  of  de- 
corum and  a  sign  of  great  weakness  if  he  were 
to  call  out  for  help,  and  so,  in  spite  of  his 
aches  and  shiverings,  he  resolved  that  he 
would  at  least  be  a  "  brave,"  and  patiently  en- 
dure until  the  morning  brought  him  light  and 
friends. 

Very  long  indeed  to  Oowikapun  seemed 
that  cold,  dark  night.  The  reaction  had  come, 
and  physically  and  mentally  he  was  to  be 
pitied.  His  dance  had  carried  him  very  near 
to  the  verge  of  the  dance  of  death.  And  then 
owing  to  his  vivid  dream,  although  as  yet  he 
could  not  interpret  much  of  it,  there  was  the 
vague  idea,  as  a  haunting  fear,  that  it  had 
come  to  chide  him  for  his  cowardice  in  falling 
back  and  taking  part  in  the  devil  dance,  after 
having  heard  of  the  other  way.  Thus  filled 
with  sorrow  there  he  sat  on  his  rude  bed  of 
boughs,  hour  after  hour,  with  his  locked  hands 


A  Strangk  Henkfacior. 


47 


clasping  his  knees,  and  his  head  bowed  down 
upon  his  breast. 

The  few  sounds  which  broke  the  stiUness  of 
those  hours  or  interrupted  the  sighing  of  the 
winds  were  not  pleasant.  A  great  owl  en- 
sconced in  a  tree  not  far  away  began  and 
maintained  for  a  long  time  its  monotonous 
"  hoot-a-hoot  a-hoo,"  while  away  in  the  distant 
forest  gloom,  rising  at  times  shrill  and  distinct 
above  the  fitful  wind,  he  heard  the  wail  of  the 
catamount  or  panther,  the  saddest  and  most 
mournful  sound  that  ever  broke  the  solitude 
of  forest  gloom.  A  sound  at  times  so  like  the 
shrieking  wail  of  a  child  in  mortal  agony, 
that  heard  close  at  hand  it  has  caused  the 
face  of  many  a  brave  wife  of  the  backwoods 
settler,  even  when  all  her  loved  ones  were  safe 
with  her  within  the  strong  walls  of  the  log 
house,  to  blanch  with  terror  and  to  cry  out 
with  fear.  Its  despairing  wail  seemed  to  poor 
Oowikapun  as  the  echo  of  the  feeling  of  his 
saddened  heart. 

But  the  longest  night  has  an  end,  and  to 
the  patient  watchers  day  dawn  comes  again. 
As  the   first   rays  of  light   began    to    enter 


i , 


Ki 


i>  li 


[ 


u- 


(  I   '> 


,'J     I 


^  ■  I, 

V    !  r 


■  ii 


II 


I 


48 


OOWIKAI'IN. 


thruugli  tlic  cr.icks  and  crevices  of  the  wig- 
wam Oowikapun  rejoiced  greatly,  and  then 
fell  into  a  heavy  sleep. 

When  he  awoke  the  camp  fire  was  burning 
brightly  on  the  ground  before  him,  a  warm 
blanket  was  over  his  shoulders,  and  food 
warm  and  inviting  was  ready  for  him  near  the 


fi 


re. 


It  was  very  evident  that  some  one  had  had 
compassion  on  him.  Oowikapun  rubbed  his 
e)'es,  rose  up  and  shook  himself,  and  won- 
dered whether  this  was  a  vision  or  a  reality. 
Mis  keen  appetite,  sharpened  by  long  fastin 
came  to  his  help  and  naturally  aided  in  the 
settling  of  the  question  ;  so  he  vigorously  at- 
tacked   the   food,   ai.cl,   catinp",  was    refreshed 


and  comforted. 

Just  as  he  was  finishing  his  meal,  the  deer- 
skin door  of  his  lodge  was  partially  but  noise- 
lessly pulled  aside,  and  his  outer  garments 
and  Indian  finery,  including  his  prized  fire 
bag,  all  of  w  hicli  he  had  thrown  off  at  the  be- 
inning  of  the  dance,  were  quickly  placed 
inside  the  door.  The  thinir  was  done  so 
speedily  and  quietly  that  it  nearly  escaped  his 


CY 


then 

.iniinj^ 

warm 

food 

:ar  the 

.(I  had 
cd  his 

woii- 
•cality. 
asting, 
in  the 

ly  at- 
rcshcd 

i  deer- 
n  oi  se- 
men ts 
d  fire 
le  be- 
Dlaced 
ne  so 
ed  his 


r^ 


i      '   \.: 

^  w 

'  1 


m- 


2^ 


A   Stranui;    iJKNKFACroK, 


51 


notice,  sliiirp  and  (luick  as  he  wis ;  but  a 
draught  of  air  cominj^  in  tlirough  the  partly 
opened  door  caused  him  to  turn  and  look,  but 
he  was  only  in  time  to  see  a  hand  and  shapely 
arm,  on  which  was  a  beautifully  wrought 
bracelet  of  Indian  beadwork,  draw  close  again 
the  curtainlike  door. 

It  would  have  been  considered  a  great 
breach  of  decorum  if  he  had  manifested  any 
curiosity  or  had  arisen  to  see  who  the  person 
was  to  whom  he  was  indebted  for  this  kind- 
ness. So  curbing  all  curiosity  he  finished  his 
breakfast  and  pu*^  on  his  apparel,  and  strange 
to  say,  seemed  anxiois  to  be  as  presentable 
as  possible.  Then  going  out,  he  was  soon 
greeted  by  his  friends,  who  all  began  urging 
him  to  accept  of  their  hospitalities  and  go  and 
eat  with  them.  When  Oowikapun  stated  that 
he  had  eaten  already  a  hearty  meal,  they  were 
all  astonished  and  amazed,  and  doubly  so, 
when  he  told  them  of  what  had  been  done  for 
him  in  the  wigwam  while  he  slept.  Their 
heartless  custom  had  ever  been  to  leave  the 
unconscious  dancer  alone  and  uncared  for 
until  he  emerged  from  the  tent,  and  then  offer 


1 1 


:i  !ii 


'    i 


52 


OOWIKAPUN. 


him  their  hospitalities ;  but  here  had  been  a 
strange  innovation,  and  the  question  was  im- 
mediately raised,  Who  has  done  this  ?  But  in 
spite  of  many  inquiries,  everybody  seemed  to 
be  in  ignorance. 

Oowikapun's  curiosity  was  now  aroused,  and 
he  became  exceedingly  desirous  of  finding  out 
who  his  benefactor  was  and  expressing  his 
gratitude.  Among  other  plans  that  were  sug- 
gested to  his  mind  was  to  endeavor  to  find  out 
who  had  taken  charge  of  his  clothing  and  fire 
bag  while  he  was  dancing  in  the  tent.  But 
even  here  he  failed  to  get  any  clew.  Every- 
body seemed  to  have  become  so  absorbed  in 
the  ceremonies  of  the  dance,  or  in  watching 
the  endurance  of  the  dancers,  that  all  minor 
things  were  forgotten. 

When  the  conjurers  and  medicine  men  came 
to  congratulate  Oowikapun  on  his  efforts,  and 
called  his  dances  "  good  medicine,"  a  sudden 
feeling  of  abhorrence  and  repulsion  came  into 
his  heart  toward  these  men ;  and  as  quickly  as 
he  dared  he  turned  from  them  in  disgust,  and 
resolved  to  get  out  of  the  village  and  away 
from  their  influence  as  soon  as  possible. 


A  Strange  Benefactor. 


S3 


His  few  preparations  were  soon  completed, 
and  saying,  "  What  cheer?"  the  Indian  fare- 
well, to  his  relatives,  he  securely  fastened  his 
little  bears  with  his  furs  upon  his  sled,  and 
throwing  the  strap  over  his  shoulder,  re- 
sumed the  trail  that  led  to  his  still  distant 
home.  Soon  he  was  out  of  the  village  and 
in  the  forest.  Snares  and  traps  abounded  on 
each  side  of  the  path,  for  the  game  was 
plentiful.  Especially  were  the  rabbits  and 
white  partridges,  the  beautiful  ptarmigan, 
very  abundant  that  winter  and  spring,  and 
hundreds  were  caught  in  snares  by  the  boys 
and  women  and  girls ;  and  so  for  a  time  he 
had  the  well-beaten  trail  over  which  these 
people  traveled  as  they  daily  visited  their 
snares. 

On  pushed  Oowikapun  until  nearly  every 
snowshoe  track  of  these  hunters  had  disap- 
peared, and  but  few  were  seen,  and  the  sense 
of  being  alone  again  in  the  forest,  or  nearly 
so,  returned  to  him  with  depressing  results. 
Rapidly  and  vividly  did  there  pass  through 
his  memory  the  events  of  the  last  few  days 
spent  in  the  village  just  left  behind  :  and  es- 


ii 


I 


54 


OOWIKAPUN. 


pecially  did  his  singular  dream  come  up  before 
him,  and  a  feeling  of  remorse  filled  his  heart 
that  he  had  yielded  to  the  importunities  of 
his  pagan  friends  and  had  been  persuaded  to 
take  any  part  in  the  dance.  Then  his  thoughts 
went  farther  back,  and  he  was  with  Memotas 
again,  and  the  memory  of  their  last  walk  came 
up  so  distinctly,  and  especially  the  loving 
words  about  the  t.ue  way;  and  then  as  he  re- 
called the  spot  where  with  him  he  had  bowed 
in  prayer,  and  then  put  up  his  hand  on  his 
brow  where  the  good  man's  kiss  had  been  im- 
printed, the  very  spot  seemed  to  burn,  and 
Oowikapun  could  have  wept,  only  he  was  in- 
dignant at  his  cowardice. 

Thus  moodily  he  strode  along  on  the  trail, 
now  nearly  destitute  of  all  evidences  of  having 
been  used  by  the  hunters,  when  he  was 
startled  and  amazed  by  an  unexpected  sound 
that  seemed  strangely  out  of  place.  It  was  a 
woman's  voice  he  heard ;  and  although  the 
tones  were  low  and  plaintive,  yet  he  could 
easily  make  out  the  words  of  the  song,  for  he 
had  heard  them  over  and  over  again  in  the 
wigwam  of  Memotas.     They  were  : 


:!l    IH 


ti 


A  vStrange  Benefactor.  55 

"  Jesus  net  it  a  ye-moo-win, 
Is  pe-niek  ka  ke  it  oo-tatt*. 
We-ya  pi-ko  ne  iiiah-me-sin, 
Nesta  a-\ve  iloo  ta-yan." 

To  our  readers  who  may  not  be  posted  in 
the  Cree  language  of  the  far  North,  we  give 
the  English  translation  of  the  verse : 

"Jesus,  my  all,  to  heaven  is  gone. 
He  whom  I  fix  my  hopes  upon  ; 
His  track  I  see,  and  1*11  pursue 
The  narrow  way,  till  him  I  view." 

This  hymn  was  the  first  tran.slated  into 
Cree.  It  is  a  general  favorite,  and  is  frequently 
heard  not  only  in  the  public  religious  services 
and  at  the  family  devotions,  but  often  the  for- 
est's stillness  is  broken  by  its  hopeful,  cheering 
notes,  as  at  his  lonely  toil  the  Christian  hunter 
strides  along.  Mr.  Evans  printed  his  first  copies 
of  it  in  syllabic  characters  on  birch  bark. 

But  how  did  it  get  here?  and  who  was  the 
sweet  singer?  These  were  questions  now  in 
the  mind  of  Oowikapun  as  he  stood  still,  uncer- 
tain what  to  do,  but  strangely  thrilled  by  the 
song,  which  had  so  quickly  carried  him  back 
to  the  tent  of  the  loving  Christian  Memotas. 


\v 


i' 

I 


['It 


M 


56 


OOWTKAPUN. 


CHAPTER   V. 
The  Maiden's  Story. 


f"  ■  ■  ■  fOT  long  had  Oowikapun  to  wait,  for 
I    ^u    I     soon  emerged  from  among  the  young 


balsam  trees  a  fair  Indian  maiden 
with  a  number  of  snow-white  ptar- 
migan and  a  few  rabbits,  which  had  rewarded 
her  skill  and  enterprise  as  a  successful  hun- 
tress in  coming  so  far  from  the  village  to  set 
her  snares.  She  was  taller  than  most  Indian 
maidens,  and  her  eyes  were  bright  and  fearless. 
She  stepped  iuto  the  trail  and  turned  her  face 
homeward,  but  gave  a  sudden  start,  as,  lifting 
up  her  eyes,  she  found  herself  almost  face  tr 
face  with  Oowikapun.  Quickly  regaining  her 
composure,  she  threw  her  game  over  her  back, 
in  the  Indian  woman's  style  of  carrying  loads, 
and  with  the  natural  Indian  womanly  modesty 
seemed  anxious  to  at  once  go  on.  In  all  prob- 
aMlity  not  a  word  would  have  passed  between 
them.  As  it  happened,  however,  just  at  the 
moment  when  the  maiden  swune  her  load  of 


i      I 


I     I 


xvy^T©  r»*/r  *V» 


'1;i 


^ 


h    li 


i!  I 


hi 


"She  found  herself  almost  face  to  face  with  Oowikapun. 


u 


The  Maiden's  Story. 


S9 


^iimc  over  her  back,  the  shawl  she  w  as  wearing 
fell  back  for  an  instant  from  her  arm,  and  on  it 
Oowikapun's  quick  eye  detected  the  beautiful 
bracelet  that  he  had  seen  that  morning  on  the 
arm  that  had  closed  the  door  of  his  little  lodge. 

This  discovery  filled  him  with  curiosity,  and 
he  resolved  to  find  out  who  she  was,  and  why 
she  had  shown  him,  a  stranger,  so  much  kind- 
ness. But  the  difficulty  was  how  to  begin. 
His  Iiidian  training  told  iiim  it  would  be 
a  breach  of  decorum  to  speak  to  her;  but 
so  great  was  his  anxiety  to  find  the  solution  of 
what  was  a  mystery  even  to  the  villagers  them- 
selves, that  he  felt  he  must  not  let  the  oppor- 
tunity pass  by.  Man's  bluntness  is  his  own 
poor  substitute  for  woman's  superior  tact,  and 
so  as  she  was  about  to  pass  he  said  :  "  Have  I 
not  seen  that  beautiful  bracelet  before  ?  " 

He  tried  to  speak  kindly,  but  he  was  excited 
and  fearful  that  she  would  be  gone,  and  so  his 
voice  sounded  harsh  and  stern,  and  it  startled 
her,  and  her  face  flushed  a  little ;  yet  she 
quickly  regained  her  composure,  and  then 
quietly  said :  *'  It  was  made  years  ago,  so  you 
have  seen  it  before." 


'  ^ 


n. 


■\   i 


6o 


OoWIKAl'UN. 


4\ 


•*  Was  it  not  on  the  arm  of  the  friend  wlio 
made  the  fire  and  prepared  the  food  and 
brought  the  clothing  for  the  poor,  foolish 
stranger?  "  he  asked. 

She  raised  her  piercing  black  eyes  to  his,  as 
though  she  would  look  into  his  soul,  and  said, 
without  hesitancy  :  "  Yes,  it  was  ;  and  Oowika- 
pun  was  indeed  foolish,  if  not  wc"se." 

Startled  and  confounded  at  this  reply,  given 
in  such  decided  tones  by  this  maiden,  Oowika- 
pun,  in  spite  of  all  his  efforts  to  appear  un- 
moved, felt  abashed  before  her,  and  his  eyes 
fell  under  her  searching  gaze. 

Recovering  himself  as  well  as  he  could,  he 
said :  "  Will  the  fair  maiden  please  tell  me 
what  she  means  ?  " 

*' Yes,"  she  answered.  "  What  she  means  is 
that  she  is  very  much  surprised  that  a  man 
who  for  days  has  been  a  guest  in  the  wigwam 
of  Memotas  and  Meyooachimoowin,  and  who 
has  heard  their  songs  and  prayers  to  the  Good 
Spirit,  should  again  be  found  in  the  circle  of 
the  devil  dance." 

"  How  do  you  know  I  was  with  Memotas  ?  " 
he  replied. 


The  Maiden's  Story. 


6i 


"  From  your  own  lips,"  she  answered.  "I 
was  with  the  maidens,  with  only  a  deerskin 
partition  dividing  us  from  the  place  where  you 
told  the  men  of  your  battle  with  the  wolf,  and 
of  Memotas's  love  and  words  about  the  book 
of  heaven  and  the  Good  Spirit  to  you.  Anc' 
yet,"  she  added,  and  there  was  a  tinge  of  sor- 
row in  her  voice,  **  after  having  heard  all  that, 
you  went  to  the  old  bad  way  again." 

Stung  by  her  words  so  full  of  reproof,  he 
retorted  with  some  bitterness  :  *'  And  you  and 
the  other  maidens  goaded  me  on  to  the  dance." 

With  flashing  eyes  she  drew  herself  up 
proudly,  and  said  :  "  Never !  I  would  have 
died  first.  It  was  a  lie  of  the  conjurers,  if  they 
said  anything  of  the  kind." 

A  feeling  of  admiration,  followed  by  one  of 
almost  envy,  came  over  him  as  he  listened  to 
the  decided  words,  uttered  with  such  spirit, 
and  he  heartily  wished  some  of  it  had  been  his 
when  tempted  to  join  in  the  dance  of  sin. 
With  the  consciousness  of  weakness  and  with 
his  proud  spirit  quelled,  he  said  :  "  Why  are 
you  of  this  mind?  How  is  it  that  you  know 
so  much  about  the  white  man's  way  ?     Did  I 


u      ( 


M  ;|; 


I  :i 


5 


m 


l!        i 


62 


OOWIKAPUN. 


not  ser  you  in  the  w'gwam  of  Kistayimoowin, 
the  chief,  whose  brother  is  the  great  medicine 
man  of  the  tribe  ?  How  is  it  that  you,  the 
chiefs  daughter  and  the  conjurer's  iiiece,  should 
have  such  different  thoughts  about  these 
things?  " 

Her   answer,  which  was  a  h'ttle  bit  of  her 
family  history,  was  as  follows : 

"While  I  am  the  niece  of  Koosapatum,  the 
conjurer  and  medicine  man,  whom  I  hate,  I 
am  not  the  daughter,  but  the  niece  of  Kis- 
tayimoowin, the  chief.  My  father  was  another 
brother  of  theirs.  He  was  a  great  hunter,  and 
years  ago,  when  I  was  a  little  child,  he  left  the 
home  of  his  tribe  and,  taking  my  mother  and 
me,  he  went  far  away  to  Lake  Athabasca, 
where  he  was  told  there  was  abundance  of  game 
and  fish.  In  a  g!\^at  storm  they  were  both 
drowned.  I  was  left  a  poor  orphan  child  about 
six  years  of  age  among  the  pagan  Indians,  who 
cared  but  little  for  me.  They  said  they  had 
enough  to  do  in  looking  after  their  own  chil- 
dren, so  often  I  was  half  starved.  Fortunately 
for  me  the  great  missionary,  with  his  wonder- 
ful canoe  of  tin,  which  the  people  called  the 


ici»sa*i LiLSBi 


The  Maiden's  Story. 


63 


*  Island  of  Light,'  camt  along  that  \v  ly  on 
one  of  his  journeys.  He  had  those  skillful 
canoe  men — Henry  Budd  and  Hasselton. 
While  stopping  among  the  people  and  teaching 
them  the  true  way,  the  missionary  heard  of 
me  and  of  the  danger  I  was  in  of  perishing, 
and  so  he  took  me  in  the  canoe  and  carried  me 
all  the  way  to  Norway  House.  It  was  long 
ago,  but  well  do  I  remember  how  they  carried 
me  across  the  rough  portages  when  I  got  tired 
out,  and  gave  me  to  eat  the  best  pieces  of 
ducks  and  geese  or  other  game  which  they 
shot  for  food.  At  night  they  gathered  old 
hay  from  the  beavers'  meadows,  or  cut  down 
a  young  balsam  tree,  and  with  its  branches 
made  me  a  little  bed  for  the  night. 

"  When  we  reached  Norway  House  Mission, 
I  was  adopted  into  the  family  of  the  mission- 
ary. They  and  Miss  Adams,  the  teacher,  were 
very  kind  to  me.  I  joined  the  Indian  children 
in  the  school,  and  went  regularly  to  the  little 
church.  I  \yell  remember  Memotas  and  Big 
Tom  and  Murtagon  and  Papanekis  and  many 
others.  I  learned  some  of  the  hymns,  and  can 
distinctly  remember  seeing  the  missionary  and 


I!  ' 


li 


I,t 


II: 


(,( 


«4 


OoWIKAI'UN. 


Mr.  Stciiihav  printing  the  hymns  in  the  char- 
acters on  the  bark  and  on  paper.  It  was  the 
happiest  year  of  my  \\(c. 

"  O  tluit  I  liad  been  w  ise,  and  tried  to 
•ratlier  up  and  fix  in  my  memory  all  that 
was  said  to  me  of  the  Great  Spirit,  and  his  son 
Jesus,  and  about  the  ^ood  way!  But  I  was  a 
happy,  thoughtless  girl,  and  more  fond  of  play 
with  the  little  Indian  girls  and  the  fun-loving, 
happy  boys  than  of  listening  to  the  lessons 
and  learning  them. 

"  A  year  after  my  Uncle  Kista)'imoowin 
came  down  to  the  fort  with  his  furs,  and  took 
me  away  home  with  him  ;  and  here,  so  far 
away,  I  have  lived  ever  since.  In  his  v;ay  he 
is  not  unkind  to  me,  but  my  Uncle  Koosapa- 
tum  hates  me  because  I  know  these  things  ; 
and  as  all  are  in  dread  of  his  poisons,  even 
Kistayimoowin  does  not  wish  me  to  speak 
about  what  I  heard  that  >'ear,  or  sing  what  I 
remember  except  when  I  am  far  out  in  the 
forest.  Because  I  do  not  want  to  have  my 
uncle,  the  chief,  poisoned,  I  kept  quiet  some- 
times ;  but  most  of  the  women  have  heard  all 
I  know,  and  they  are  longing  to  hear  more. 


>> 
o 

X) 

>, 

(-1. 

c 


c 


:l 


I 

'■■■<   . 


'  li. 


i  in 


n 


•  ii 


i 


The  Maiden's  Story. 


67 


So  our  hearts  got  full  of  hoping  when,  as  we 
waited  on  the  chief  with  his  dinner  a  few  days 
ago,  we  heard  him  talking  with  some  others 
who  were  eating  with  him  that  you  had  come, 
and  had  been  cured  of  your  wounds  by  a 
Christian  Indian,  by  the  name  of  Memotas, 
and  were  going  to  give  a  talk  about  what  had 
happened  to  you,  and  what  you  had  heard. 
When  I  heard  him  mention  the  name  of  Me- 
motas, I  thought  I  would  have  dropped  the 
birch  roggin  of  roasted  bears'  paws  which  I 
was  holding,  for  I  could  still  remember  that 
good  man  so  well.  Gladly  I  gathered  some  of 
the  women  together  behind  the  partition  to 
listen  and  learn  more  of  the  good  way,  if  we 
could,  from  you. 

"  We  drank  in  every  word  you  said,  and 
when  they  mocked  we  were  very  angry  at 
them ;  but  we  dare  not  say  a  word  for  fear  of 
a  beating.  While  you  stood  firm  and  refused 
to  join  in  that  wicked  dance  we  rejoiced. 
When  you  yielded  our  hearts  became  sad, 
and  we  silently  got  away.  I  went  out  into 
the  woods  and  wept.  When  I  returned  the 
women  had  shut  themselves  up  in  their  tents, 


!: 


68 


OOWIKAPUN. 


m:<'' 


and  the  men  were  all  off  to  the  big  dance 
house.  I  found  your  clothes  and  fire  bag  just 
where  you  had  thrown  them  off,  in  danger  of 
being  dragged  away  or  torn  to  pieces  by  the 
foolish  young  dogs.  So,  unseen  by  anybody,  I 
gathered  them  up  and  put  them  away. 

"  During  the  days  and  nights  you  danced  I 
was  angry  and  miserable,  and  at  times  could 
not  keep  from  weeping  that  a  man  who  had 
known  Memotas,  and  for  days  had  been  with 
him,  and  had  heard  so  much  about  the  good 
way,  should  then  go  back  to  the  old  dark  way 
which  gives  no  comfort  to  anyone. 

"When  you  fell  senseless  in  the  circle,  I 
watched  where  they  carried  you.  I  visited  the 
tent  in  the  night,  and  I  heard  your  sad  moans, 
and  I  knew  you  were  unhappy.  At  daybreak, 
as  you  had  fallen  into  a  deep  sleep,  I  built  the 
fire  and  prepared  the  food,  and  carried  you 
your  clothing ;  and  if  it  had  not  been  for  the 
breeze  which  swept  through  the  door,  when  I 
last  opened  it,  you  would  never  have  known 
anything  about  me." 

Her  story  greatly  interested  Oowikapun ; 
and  as  he  listened  to  her  thus  talking  as  he 


The  Maiden's  Story. 


69 


had  never  heard  an  Indian  woman  speak 
before,  he  saw  the  benefit  which  had  come  as 
the  result  of  a  year  spent  among  Christians, 
even  though  it  were  only  a  year  in  childhood. 
When  she  finished  he  said  :  "  I  am  glad  I  have 
met  you  and  heard  your  story." 

"  Why  should  you  be  glad  ?  "  she  replied. 
**  I  am  sure  you  must  be  offended  that  a  wom- 
an should  have  dared  to  speak  so  plainly  to 
you." 

'*  I  deserve  all  that  you  have  said,  and  more 
too,"  he  added  after  a  pause. 

"  In  which  trail  are  you  in  the  future  going 
to  walk  ?  "  she  asked.  This  straight,  searching 
question  brought  vividly  before  his  vision  the 
dream,  and  the  two  ways  which  there  he  saw, 
and  he  felt  that  a  crisis  in  his  life  had  come ; 
and  he  said,  after  a  pause :  "  I  should  like  to 
walk  in  the  way  marked  out  by  the  book  of 
heaven." 

"  And  so  would  I,"  she  replied,  with  intense 
earnestness ;  "  but  it  seems  hard  to  do  so, 
placed  as  I  am.  You  think  me  brave  here 
thus  reproving  you,  but  I  am  a  coward  in  the 
village.      I  have  called  it  love  for  my  uncle's 


70 


OOWIKAPUN. 


life  that  has  kept  me  back  from  defying 
the  conjurers,  and  telling  everybody  I  want  to 
go  in  the  way  the  Good  Spirit  has  given  us ; 
but  it  is  cowardice,  and  I  am  ashamed  of  my- 
self, and  then  I  know  so  little.  O,  that  we  had 
a  missionary  among  us  with  the  book  of  heav- 
en, as  they  have  at  Norway  House  and  else- 
where, that  we  might  learn  more  about  the 
way,  and  be  brave  and  courageous  all  the 
time  !  " 

This  despairing  cry  is  the  voice  of  millions 
dissatisfied  with  the  devil  dances  and  worship 
of  idols.  The  call  is  for  those  who  can  tell 
them  where  soul  comfort  can  be  found,  and  a 
sweet  assurance  brought  into  their  hearts  that 
they  are  in  the  right  way. 

Hardly  knowing  what  answer  to  make,  but 
now  interested  in  the  woman  as  never  in  one 
before,  he  asked :  "  What  name  does  your 
uncle  call  you?"  Wishing  to  find  out  her 
name  he  put  it  this  way,  as  it  is  considered 
the  height  of  rudeness  to  ask  a  person  her 
name.  When  several  persons  arc  together, 
and  the  name  of  one  is  desired  by  one  of  the 
company,  the  plan  is  always  to  ask  some  third 


The  Maiden's  Story. 


71 


person  for  the  desired  information.  "  Astu- 
mastao,"  she  replied.  And  then  feeling  with 
her  keen  womanly  instincts  that  the  time  had 
come  when  the  long  interview  should  end,  she 
quickly  threw  her  game,  which  had  been 
dropped  on  the  ground,  over  her  shoulder 
again,  and  gliding  by  him,  soon  disappeared  in 
the  forest  trail. 


7« 


OOWIKAFUN. 


ii 


CHAPTER  VI. 
Hunting  Wild  Geese 

'""""""""10  (^owikapun   this  interview  was  of 

r    I     great  value,  and  while  he  could  not 

I     but  feel  a  certain  amount  of  humili- 

ation  at  the  cowardice  he  had  been 

forced   to   admit,  and   felt   also  that  it  was  a 

new   experience    to   be    thus   talked   to  by  a 

woman,  yet  his  conscience  told  him  that  she 

was  right  and  he  deserved   the  reproofs  she 

had  given.     So  with  something  more  to  think 

about,  he  resumed    his  onward    journey,  and 

ere  he  stopped  that  night  and   made  his  little 

camp  he  was  many  miles  nearer  his  home. 

As  he  sat  there  by  his  cheery  fire,  while  all 
around  him  stretched  the  great  wild  forest,  he 
tried  to  think  over  some  of  the  new  and 
strange  adventures  through  which  he  had 
passed.  With  startling  vividness  they  came 
before  him,  and  above  all  the  brave  words  of 
the  maiden  Astumastao  seemed  to  ring  in  his 
ears.      Then   the   consciousness  that   he  who 


HUiNTING    WlLU    GeKSK. 


73 


had  been  trying  to  make  himself  and  otliers 
believe  that  he  was  so  brave  was  really  so 
cowardly  took  hold  of  him,  and  so  depressed 
him  that  he  could  only  sit  with  bowed  head 
and  burdened  heart,  and  say  within  himself 
that  he  was  very  weak  and  foolish. 

The  stars  shone  out  in  that  brilliant  north- 
ern sky,  and  the  aurora  danced  and  blazed 
and  scintillated,  meteors  flashed  across  the 
heavens  with  wondrous  brightness,  but  Oowi- 
kapun  saw  them  not.  The  problem  of  life 
here  and  hereafter  had  come  to  him  as  never 
before.  He  found  out  that  he  had  a  soul,  and 
that  there  was  a  God  to  fear  and  love,  who 
cared  for  men  and  women,  and  that  there  was 
reward  for  right  doing  and  punishment  for 
sin.  So  with  the  little  light  he  had,  he  pon- 
dered and  thought,  and  the  more  he  did  the 
worse  he  got ;  for  he  had  not  yet  found  the 
way  of  simple  faith  and  trust,  and  he  became 
so  saddened  and  terrified  that  there  was  but 
little  sleep  that  right  for  him.  As  there  he 
sat  longing  for  h^'Ip,  he  remembered  the 
words  of  Astumastao  :  "  O,  that  we  had  a  mis- 
sionary among  us,  with  the  book  of  heaven, 


74 


OdWIKAPUN. 


that  we  might  learn  more  about  the  way,  and 
be  brave  and  courageous  all  the  time!" 

In  this  frame  of  mind  he  watched  and 
waited  until  the  first  blush  of  morn;  then 
after  a  hasty  meal  prepared  on  his  camp  fin:, 
he  started  of,  and  in  due  time  reached  his 
home  ;  t)"  oistant  village  in  the  wilderness, 
and  in  llr:  ^Icrressing  mood  in  which  we  here 
first  met  him  h(     'ved  for  many  a  day. 

The  change  in  him  was  noticed  by  all,  and 
many  conjectured  as  to  the  cause,  but  Oowi- 
kapun  unburdened  not  his  heart,  for  he  knew 
there  was  none  among  his  people  who  could 
understand,  and  with  bitter  memories  of  his 
cowardice,  he  thought  in  his  blindness  that 
the  better  way  to  escape  ridicule  and  even 
persecution  would  be  to  keep  all  he  had 
learned  about  the  Good  Spirit  and  the  book 
of  heaven  locked  up  in  his  heart. 

Oowikapun  was  one  of  the  best  hunters  in 
his  village,  and  as  his  father  was  dead  and  he 
was  the  oldest  son,  and  now  about  twenty-five 
years  of  age,  he  was  looked  up  to  as  the  head  pf 
the  wigwam.  In  his  Indian  way  he  was  neither 
unkind   to   his    mother   nor   to   the  younger 


fluNTiNi;  Wild  (iKKse. 


7S 


members  of  the  family.  To  his  little  brothers 
he  gave  the  two  young  bears,  and  they  soon 
taught  them  a  number  of  tricks.  They  quickly 
learned  the  use  of  their  fore  legs,  and  it  was 
very  amusing  to  sec  them  wrestling  with  and 
throwing  the  young  Indian  dogs,  with  whom 
they  soon  became  great  friends. 

Oowikapun,  to  divert  attention  from  him- 
self, and  to  keep  from  being  qucstionc  :  c>out 
the  change  in  his  conduct,  which  w.  '^  sr  vi- 
dent  to  all,  devoted  himself  with  unfl  r-ging  en- 
ergy to  the  chase.  Spring  having  now  t  pcned, 
the  wild  geese  came  in  great  flockL  oui  their 
southern  homes  to  those  northern  lands,  look- 
ing for  the  rich  feeding  grounds  and  safe 
places  where  they  could  hatch  their  young. 
These  times  when  the  geese  are  flying  over 
are  as  a  general  thing  profitable  to  the  hunt- 
ers. I  have  known  an  old  Indian,  with  only 
two  old  flintlock  guns,  kill  seventy-five  large 
gray  geese  in  one  day.  That  was  however  an 
exceptional  case.  The  hunters  considered 
themselves  fortunate  if  each  night  they  re- 
turned with  from  seven  to  twelve  of  these 
birds. 


r 

11 


, 


76 


OOWIKAI'UN. 


Oowikapun,  having  selected  a  spot  at  the 
edge  of  a  great  marsh  from  which  the  snow 
had  melted,  and  where  the  goose  grass  was 
abundant,  and  the  flocks  were  flying  over  in 
great  numbers,  hastily  prepared  what  the 
hunters  call  their  nest.  This  is  made  out  of 
marsh  hay  and  branches  of  trees,  and  is 
really  what  its  name  implies,  a  nest  so  large 
that  at  least  a  couple  of  men  can  hide  them- 
selves in  it.  When  ready  to  begin  goose 
hunting  they  put  on  a  white  coat  and  a  cap 
of  similar  color  ;  for  these  observant  Indians 
have  learned  that  if  they  are  dressed  in  white 
they  can  call  the  geese  much  nearer  to  them 
than  if  their  garments  are  of  any  other  hue. 
Another  requisite  for  a  successful  hunt  is  to 
have  a  number  of  decoy  geese  carved  out  of 
wood,  and  placed  in  the  grass  near  the  nest, 
as  though  busily  engaged  in  eating. 

Oowikapun's  first  day  at  the  hunt  was 
fortunately  a  very  good  one.  The  sun  was 
shining  brightly,  and  aided  by  a  southern 
breeze  many  flocks  of  geese  came  in  sight  in 
their  usual  way  of  flying,  either  in  straight 
lines  or  in  triangles.      Oowikapun  was  gifted 


Hunting  Wiin  Okkse. 


77 


with  the  ability  to  imitate  their  t.ill,  aiul  he 
succeeded  in  bringing  so  many  of  them  in 
range  of  his  gun  that  ere  tlie  day  ended  he 
had  bagged  ahnost  a  score. 

In  after  years  \vl  en  I  visited  that  land  it 
used  to  interest  me  much,  and  added  a 
pleasurable  excitement  tu  my  trip,  to  don  a 
white  garment  (n'er  my  winter  clothing,  for 
the  weather  was  still  cold,  and  join"  one  of 
these  clever  hunters  in  his  little  nest  and  take 
my  chance  at  a  shot  at  thrsc  noble  birds.  I 
felt  quite  proud  of  ni}'  powers  when  I  brought 
down  my  first  gray  goose,  even  if  I  did  only 
break  a  wing  with  my  ball. 

Quickly  unloosing  Cuffy,  one  of  my  favorite 
Newfoundland  dogs,  I  sent  hor  after  the  bird, 
which  had  lit  down  on  a  great  ice  field  about 
five  hundred  yards  awa)'.  But  although  dis- 
abled, the  bird  could  still  fight,  and  so  when 
my  spirited  dog  tried  to  close  in  upon  her  and 
seize  her  by  the  neck,  the  brave  goose  gave 
her  such  a  blow  over  the  head  with  the  unin- 
jured wing  that  it  turned  her  completely  over 
and  made  her  howl  with   pain   and   vexation. 

Witnessing    the    discomfiture   of   my    dog,  I 
G 


! 


78 


OONVIKAPITN. 


could  easily  iinderstaiul  what  I  had  been  fre- 
quently told  by  the  Indians,  of  foxes  having 
been  killed  by  the  old  geese  when  trying  to 
capture  young  goslings  from  the  flocks. 

In  these  annual  goose  hunts  all  the  Indians 
who  can  handle  a  gun  take  part.  The  news  of 
the  arrival  of  the  first  goose  fills  a  whole  vil- 
lage with  excitement,  and  nothing  can  keep 
the  people  from  rushing  off  to  the  different 
points,  which  they  each  claim  year  after  year, 
where  they  hastily  build  their  nests  and  set 
their  decoys. 

I  well  remember  how  quickly  I  was  deserted 
by  a  whole  company  of  Salteaux  Indians  one 
spring,  on  their  hearing  the  long-expected  call 
of  a  solitary  goose  that  came  flying  along  on 
the  south  wind.  I  had  succeeded,  after  a  good 
deal  of  persuasion,  in  getting  them  to  work 
with  me  in  cutting  down  trees  and  preparing 
the  soil  for  seed  sowing,  when  in  the  midst  of 
our  toil,  at  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon, 
the  distant  "  aunk  !  aunk!  aunk  I  "  of  an  old 
gray  goose  was  heard,  the  outskirmisher  of  the 
oncoming  crowds.  Such  was  the  effect  of  that 
sound  upon  my  good  hunters,  but  poor  farm- 


HUNTINT,    Wll.l)    CiEESE. 


79 


crs,  that  the  axes  and  hoes  were  hastily 
dropped,  and  with  a  rush  they  were  all  off  to 
their  wigwams  for  their  guns  and  ammunition, 
and  I  did  not  see  them  again  for  a  month. 

Success  in  the  goose  hunt  seems  to  elate  the 
Indian  more  than  in  anything  else.  Why,  I 
could  never  find  out.  It  may  be  because  it  is 
the  first  spring  hunting  after  the  long,  dreary 
winter,  and  there  is  the  natural  gladness  that 
the  pleasant  springtime  has  come  again.  What- 
ever it  may  be,  I  noticed  for  years  more  noisy 
mirth  and  earnest  conrrratulations  on  success 
in  the  goose  hunt  than  in  anything  else. 

Loaded  down  with  his  game,  Oowikapun 
returned  to  his  wigwam,  and  instead  of  cheerily 
responding  to  the  congratulations  of  the  in- 
mates on  accoimt  of  his  success,  he  threw  him- 
self down  on  his  bed,  silent  and  gloomy,  and 
refused  the  proffered  meal,  and  even  the 
lighted  pipe  which  his  mother  brought  him. 

They  were  all  surprised  at  his  conduct, 
which  was  so  contrary  to  his  old  ways.  He 
had  never  been  known  to  act  like  this  before. 
Just  '^he  reverse.  He  liad  come  to  be  con- 
sidered the  brightest  young  man  in  the  village; 


I      , ; 


So 


OOWIKAPUN. 


Ml 


m 


he  had  more  than  once  been  called  the  young 
hunter  of  the  cheery  voice  and  the  laugliing 
eyes.  Then  in  his  serious  hours,  in  times  when 
the  affairs  of  the  tribe  were  being  discussed  at 
the  council  fires,  so  good  was  his  judgment, 
and  wise  and  thoughtful  beyond  his  years  were 
liis  words  considered,  that  even  the  old  men, 
who  seldom  did  anything  but  sneer  at  the 
words  of  the  young  men,  gave  respectful  at- 
tention to  what  fell  from  the  lips  of  Oowika- 
pun.  Well  was  it  remembered  how,  only  last 
year,  at  the  great  council  fire  of  the  whole 
tribe,  when  the  runners  brought  the  news  of 
the  aggressions  of  the  whites  on  some  of  the 
southern  tribes  with  whom  they  had  been,  in 
the  years  past,  on  friendly  alliance,  and  the  old 
men  spake  with  bitterness  and  talked  of  the 
old  glories  of  the  red  men,  ere  the  paleface 
came  with  his  firearms,  and  what  was  worse 
with  his  fire  water,  and  hunted  down  and 
poisoned  many  of  their  forefathers,  and  drove 
back  the  rest  of  them  toward  the  setting  sun 
or  northward  to  the  regions  of  the  bitter  cold 
and  frost,  and  how  much  better  it  would  have 
been,  they  said,  if  their  forefathers  had  listened 


Hun  UN  c;  Wild  (Ikksi,. 


8i 


to  tlic  fiery  t'lociucncc  jukI  burninL;  words  of 
Tccuniscli  and  his  brother  the  prophet,  and 
joined  in  a  i^reat  Indian  confederacy,  when 
they  were  numerous  and  stron<^,  to  dri\e  the 
wliite  man  Ijack  into  tlie  sea.  Then  it  was, 
when  eyes  flaslied  and  the  Imhans  were  wild 
cnouj^di  with  excitement  to  cause  great  trouble, 
that  Oovikai)un  arose  and  spoke  kindl)'  words, 
and  wise  be\'ond  liis  \ears. 

In  his  atldrcss  he  uri^ed  that  the  time  for 
successful  war  was  passed,  that  Tecumseh 
himself  fell  before  the  power  of  the  p.ileface, 
that  his  wampum  and  mai;ic  pii)e  had  disap- 
peared, and  his  tomahawk  had  bei-n  buried  in 
a  peace  ceremony  between  his  survi^  ors  ami 
the  paleface  ;  and  bitter  as  mii^ht  be  soi  le  of 
the  memories  of  the  past,  )'et  to  all  it  must  I»e 
clear  that  as  many  of  tlie  white  men  were 
really  their  friends,  it  was  for  their  interest  and 
happiness  to  act  [)atiently  and  h(jnorabl)'  to- 
ward them,  and  strive  to  live  as  the  Great 
Spirit  woukl  have  them,  a:;  loving  brothers. 

Thus  talked  Oowikapui\  last  )ear.  Why  is 
it,  till')'  said,  that  he  who  gave  such  promise  of 
being   a  ''"re.it   orator,   as    well   as   a   successful 


.      V 


I 


!l 


f 


82 


OoWIKAPUN, 


hunter,  should  act  so  strangely  now  ?  Some 
said  he  was  losing  his  reason  and  becoming 
crazy.  The  young  folks  said  he  was  in  love 
with  some  bright-eyed  maiden,  whom  they 
knew  not,  but  many  of  the  dark-eyed  maidens 
hoped  she  was  the  fortunate  one.  And  so 
they  wondered  why  lie  did  not  let  it  be  known. 
As  he  still  delayed,  they  said,  it  is  because  he 
lias  had  so  many  to  support  that  he  is  poor, 
and  is  fearful  that  what  he  has  to  offer  in  pay- 
ment for  his  bride  might  not  be  considered 
sufficient,  and  he  would  be  humiliated  to  be 
refused. 

Even  some  of  the  older  women,  not  born  in 
beauty's  hand  basket,  when  they  could  get 
away  from  their  exacting  husbands,  would  sit 
down  together  under  the  bank  where  the  canoes 
were  drawn  up,  and  in  imitation  of  the  men 
around  the  council  fires,  would  gravely  ex- 
change opinions,  and  perhaps,  like  white  folks, 
would  gossip  a  little  in  reference  to  conduct  so 
extraordinary. 


<u 


ri 


-a 


(/) 

I 

.h: 

1 

'     ' 

o 

i 

**^ 

i 

<u 

\ 

x: 

rf 

flj 

-v; 

J 

■i 

. 

m 


!    ! 


I        ' 


/ 


MOOKOO.MIS    AND    IllS    Lk<;kni)s. 


X5 


CHAPTKR  VII. 
Mookoomis  and  his  Legends. 

•  '■'"""•ME  old  conjurers  aiul  medicine  men 
I  I  I  who  were  at  length  consulted  said, 
1  I     after  long  drumming  and  powwow- 

ing and  the  consuming  of  much  tea 
and  tobacco,  at  the  expense  of  his  relatives, 
that  the  spirits  of  the  forests  and  rivers  were 
calling  to  him  to  fast  and  suffer,  and  prepare  to 
become  a  great  medicine  man ;  that  nature 
would  then  reveal  her  secrets  and  give  In'm 
power  and  influence  over  the  people  and 
make  him  "good  medicine,"  if  he  obeyed  lier 
voice. 

Oowikapun  heard  of  Mie  surmisings  and 
mutterings  of  the  people  about  hiim,  and  at 
first  was  very  much  annoyed.  Then  i  peace 
coming  to  him,  for  he  was  afraid  t<  >ray  to 
the  Good  Spirit  since  he  had  taken  p  in  the 
devil  dance,  he  decided  to  consult  one  of  the 
old  men  of  the  village,  who  had  a  .  putation 
among    the    people    for  wisdom    and    also    as 


ii    'i 


i 


I 


86 


OoWIKAPUN. 


bcinj^  well  posted  in  uitl  Indian  traditions  and 
Icj^cnds.  The  youn^^  man  was  cordially 
welc(jmed  to  tlu  wij^wani  of  the  old  man,  but 
Oovvikapun  had  not  been  there  very  lonj^  in 
conversation  with  him  before  he  found  out 
that  he  was  a  great  hater  of  the  whites.  On 
Oowikapun  expressing  some  surprise  at  this, 
and  asking  his  reason  for  having  such  bitter- 
ness in  his  breast  towartl  tlie  palefaces,  the 
old  man  told  him  the  following  stor\'. 

f)ne  winter  m.my  years  ago  when  he  was  a 
great  hunter,  he  had  been  very  successful  in 
the  chase  and  had  caught  quite  a  number  of 
black  and  silver  foxes,  as  well  as  many  otters 
and  other  valuable  fur-bearing  animals.  Think- 
ing he  could  do  better  \n  selling  his  furs  by  go- 
ing down  the  rivers  and  across  many  portages 
far  away  to  a  place  where  he  had   heard  that 


whit 


c   m 


en   had   come,   who   wished   to  trade 


with  the  Indians,  and  \\ho  had  sent  word  that 
they  would  give  a  good  price  f<3r  rich  furs,  he 
set  off  for  that  place,  lie  took  his  wife  along 
with  him  to  help  him  jiaddle  his  canoe  and  to 
carry  the  loads  across  the  portages,  which 
were    very    man\'.     They    reached    the    place 


( 


M()(»KiKJ.MIS    AM)    Ills    IJ(;|,NI)S. 


«7 


lifter  many  days'  jounic}- ;  ami  the  white  men 
when  they  saw  their  bales  of  rich  furs  seemed 
very  frieiully,  and  s.iitl  as  they  had  come  so 
far  they  must  be  ver\'  weary;  ami  so  they 
fjave  liim  their  fire  water  to  drink,  and  told 
him  that  it  would  make  him  forj^et  that  his 
hands  were  sore  with  lon^  paddling  his  canoe, 
and  that  liis  feet  were  weary  with  the  liard 
walkin<^  in  the  portafjes.  So  because  the)' 
professed  to  be  his  friends  he  drank  their  fire 
water,  and  found  out  that  the)-  were  his 
enemies.  They  gave  him  more  and  more, 
telling  him  it  was  good  ;  and  so  he  foolishly 
drank  and  drank  until  he  lost  'n  ■  senses,  and 
was  in  a  drunken  stupor  for  days. 

When  he  came  to  himself  he  found  he  was 
out  in  a  cold  shed  and  very  miserable.  His 
head  ached  and  he  was  very  sore.  His  coat 
was  gone,  and  so  were  his  beautifully  beaded 
leggings  and  moccasins.  His  gun  was  gone, 
and  so  were  his  bales  of  rich  and  valuable  furs. 
His  wife  was  also  gone,  and  there  he  was,  half 
naked  and  alone. 

Alarmed,  he  cried  out  for  his  things,  and 
asked  how  it  was  that  he  was  in  such  asad  plight. 


88 


OuWIKAl'UN. 


m' 


Hearing  him  thus  calling  out,  some  of  those 
white  men  who  had  i)retciKlccl  to  be  his 
friends  came  to  him  and  saitl,  "  JieL^oiic,  )(ni 
poor  Indian  fool!"  "Where  are  my  furs?" 
lie  asked.  With  a  lauj^di  they  said,  *'  We  have 
taken  them  for  the  whisky  you  drank."  "  Give 
me  m\'  furs,"  he  cried,  "or  pay  me  for  them." 
"  l^ut,"  added  the  old  man,  "  tlu}'  were 
stronger  than  I,  and  had  taken  away,  not  only 
my  gun,  but  my  ax  and  knife,  so  I  was  help- 
less before  them. 

"'Where  is  m)'  wife?'  I  then  asked.  lUit 
the}'  onl\-  laughed  at  my  question,  and  it  was 
weeks  before  I  heard  that  they  had  insulted 
her,  and  would  have  foully  treated  her  but 
that  she  had  pulled  out  her  knife  and  threat- 
ened to  kill  the  first  man  that  toucheil  her. 
\\  'ile  keeping  them  away  with  her  knife  she 
moved  around  iMitil  she  got  near  an  open  win- 
dow, when  she  suddenl)'  sprang  out  and  fled 
like  a  frightened  deer  to  the  forest.  After 
long  weeks  of  hardship  she  reached  the  far-off 
home.  She  had  had  a  sad  time  of  it  and  many 
strange  adventures.  Footsore  and  nearly  worn 
out   she    had   been  at   times,  but    she  bravely 


MOOKOOMIS    AM)    HIS    T.EOKNDS. 


89 


persevered.  Her  food  luid  been  routs  and  an 
occasional  rabbit  or  partridge  which  she 
snared.  Several  times  she  had  been  chased 
by  wild  animals.  Once  for  several  days  tiie 
savage  wolves  madly  howled  around  the  foot 
of  a  tree  into  which  she  had  managed  to  climb 
for  safety  from  their  fierce  attacks.  Importu- 
nately for  her  a  great  moose  deer  dashed  along 
not  far  away,  and  the  wolves  which  had  been 
keeping  watch  upon  her  rushed  off  on  its  trail. 
Hurrying  down,  she,  although  half  starved, 
quickly  sped  on  her  way.  Thus  had  she 
traveled  all  alone,  her  life  often  in  jeoi)ardy 
from  savage  beasts  ;  but  she  feared  them  less 
than  she  did  the  rude  white  men  from  whom 
she  had  just  fled.  The  clothing  she  had  on 
when  she  reached  home  was  principally  of 
rabbit  skins  taken  from  the  rabbits  she  had 
captured,  and  made  to  supply  that  in  whi<'!i 
she  had  started,  but  which  had  been  almost 
torn  in  rags  by  the  hardships  of  the  way." 

The  man  when  kicked  out  of  the  place  of 
the  white  traders  had  fortunately  for  himself, 
after  a  couple  of  days'  wanderings,  fallen  in 
with  some  friendly  Indians,  who  took  pity  on 


AS 


■f 


90 


OUWIKAPUN. 


« 


r 


1  I 


hiiii,  clothed  iiiul  fed  him,  and  sent  him  back- 
in  care  of  some  of  their  best  canoe  men.  The 
result  was  he  reached  home  long  before  his 
brave  wife,  who  had  to  work  her  way  along  as 
we  have  described. 

Oowikapuu  listened  to  this  story  of  the  old 
man,  wliosc  name  was  Mookoomis,  Indianlikc, 
with  patience,  until  he  closed  ;  and  then  in 
strong  language  expressed  his  horror  and 
indignation.  It  was  most  unfortunate  that  he 
should  ha\e  heard  it  in  the  state  of  mind  that 
he  was  in  at  that  time.  From  his  meeting 
with  Mcmotasand  As*^  mastao  he  had  inferred 
that  all  white  men  were  good  people,  but  here 
was  a  rude  awakening  from  that  illusion. 
Terrible  indeed  have  been  the  evils  wrought 
b)'  the  white  men  in  these  regions  where  dwell 
the  red  men,  as  well  as  in  other  lands.  The 
native  prejudices  and  even  their  superstitious 
religions  are  not  as  great  hindrances  to  the 
spread  of  the  Gospel  among  them  as  are  the 
abominable  actions  and  rascalities  of  white 
men  who  bring  their  fire  water  and  their  sins 
from  Christian  lands. 

For  a  time  Mookoomis  exerted  a  strong  in- 


MOOKOOMIS    AM)    111^    LKxIADS. 


9» 


tluLiicc  over  Oowikapuii,  and  many  were  the 
hours  they  spent  together.  Oowikapun  was 
in  such  a  state  of  restlessness  tliat  the  only 
times  he  could  be  said  to  be  at  peace  were 
when  citlier  engaged  in  tlic  excitements  of 
liunting,  or  when  listening  to  Mookoomis's 
excited  words  as  he  talked  away,  hour  after 
hour,  of  the  old  legends  and  traditions  of  his 
people,  whose  glory,  alas  I  was  now  de- 
parted. 

One  evening,  when  a  few  interested  listen- 
ers were  gathered  around  the  wigwam  fire  of 
the  old  story-teller,  whom  they  had  made 
happy  by  gifts  of  venison  and  tobacco,  Oowi- 
kapun said  to  him,  "  Good  father,  you  are 
wise  in  many  things  about  which  we  are  igno- 
rant, and  long  ago  the  old  men  of  our  people 
handed  down  to  you  from  our  forefathers  the 
stories  to  be  kept  in  remembrance ;  tell  us 
how  the  white  men  come  to  be  here,  and  if 
you  know,  we  should  like  to  hear  also  of  the 
black  people  of  whom  the  runners  from  other 
tribes  have  told  us,  who  also  exist  in  great 
numbers."  All  joined  in  this  request  ;  and  so, 
when  the  old  man  had  filled  and  smoked  his 


I 


f^ 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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A 


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^  >^^ 


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f/- 


1.0 


I.I 


11.25 


tea  lie   |2.5 

■  50    ■^"      M^B 

1^  1^    12.2 


us 
■tt 


IM 


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Si 


Hiotagraphic 

Sciences 
Coiporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14S80 

(716)  872-4503 


^^^4.  ^J'<^    ^^^ 


0 


r 


rr 


92 


OOWIKAPUN. 


K  ^ 


calumet  again,  he  told  them  the  Indian  tradi- 
tion of  the  origin  of  the  human  races  : 

"  Long  ago,  perhaps  as  many  moons  as 
there  are  stars  in  the  sky,  the  Great  Spirit 
made  this  world  of  ours,  and  fitted  it  up  as  a 
dwelling  place  for  his  people.  Then  he  set  to 
work  to  make  man.  He  took  a  piece  of  white 
clay,  and  molded  it  and  worked  at  it  until  he 
had  formed  a  man.  Then  he  put  him  into  an 
oven  which  he  had  prepared,  and  there  he 
baked  him  to  make  him  firm  and  strong. 
When  he  took  him  out  of  the  oven  he  found 
that  he  had  kept  him  in  too  long,  and  he  was 
burnt  black.  At  this  the  Great  Spirit  was  not 
pleased,  and  he  said,  'You  will  never  do;' 
and  he  gave  him  a  great  kick  which  sent  him 
away  south  to  that  land  where  they  have  no 
snow,  and  where  it  is  very  hot,  and  told  the 
black  man  that  that  was  to  be  his  land. 

"  Then  the  Great  Spirit  took  another  piece 
of  clay,  and  molded  it  and  formed  another 
man,  and  put  him  into  the  oven  to  bake.  But 
as  he  had  burnt  the  first  one  so  badly  he  did 
not  leave  the  second  one  in  very  long,  and  so 
when  he  took  him  out  he  found  that  he  was 


MOOKOOMIS    AND    HIS    LEGENDS. 


93 


still  very  white  ;  and  at  this  he  was  not 
pleased,  and  he  said  :  '  Ugh !  you  will  never 
do.  You  are  too  white.  You  will  show  the 
dirt  too  easily.'  So  he  gave  him  a  great  kick, 
which  sent  him  across  the  sea  to  the  land 
where  the  white  man  first  came  from  to  this 
country. 

"Then,"  said  Mookoomis,  "  the  Great  Spirit 
tried  again,  and  he  gathered  the  finest  clay  he 
could,  and  molded  it  and  worked  it  until  he 
was  well  pleased  with  it ;  and  then  he  put  it 
into  the  oven  to  bake  it ;  and  now  having  the 
wisdom  which  came  from  the  experience  of 
the  other  two  failures,  he  kept  this  one  in  just 
the  right  time,  and  so  when  he  took  him  out 
he  was  of  a  rich  red  color,  and  he  was  very 
much  pleased,  and  he  said :  '  Ho !  ho !  you 
are  just  right ;  you  stay  here.*  So  he  gave  this 
country  to  the  Indian." 

This  account  of  the  origin  of  the  human 
race,  which  differs  considerably  from  Darwin's, 
very  much  interested  Oowikapun  and  his  com- 
panions, and  so  they  urged  Mookoomis  to  tell 
them  from    Indian  traditions  how  it  was  that 

the  races  had  got  into  the  condition  in  which 

7 


■  ^ 


94 


OOWIKAPUN. 


fii 


they  now  are.  So  when  the  old  man  had 
filled  and  smoked  his  pipe  again,  and  had 
seemed  to  be  lost  in  thought  for  a  time,  he 
began  once  more  : 

"  When  the  Great  Spirit  had  made  these 
different  men,  and  given  each  wives  of  their 
own  color,  he  went  away  to  his  dwelling  place 
beyond  the  setting  sun,  and  there  abode. 
After  a  while  he  thought  he  would  come  back 
and  see  how  these  men  were  getting  on.  So 
he  called  them  to  meet  him  at  a  certain  place, 
and  as  he  talked  with  them  he  found  they 
were  unhappy  because  they  had  nothing  to  do- 
When  the  Great  Spirit  heard  this  he  told 
them  to  come  back  to-morrow  and  then  he 
would  make  this  all  right  for  them.  On  the 
morrow,  when  they  had  met,  they  saw  that  the 
Great  Spirit  had  three  parcels.  He  laid  them 
on  the  ground,  and  told  them  they  were  to 
choose  which  they  would  have.  As  the  parcels 
differed  very  much  in  size  it  was  decided  that 
they  would  cast  lots,  and  thus  settle  who 
should  have  the  first  choice.  When  this  was 
done  it  was  found  that  the  black  man  was  to 
choose    first,   the   red   man   second,  and   the 


MOOKOOMIS    AND    HIS    LEGENDS. 


95 


white  man  would  have  to  take  what  was  left. 
So  the  black  man  chose  the  largest  parcel  ; 
and  when  he  opened  it  he  found  that  it  con- 
tained axes  and  hoes,  and  spades  and  shovels, 
and  other  implements  of  toil.  The  Indian 
selected  the  next  largest  bundle  ;  and  when 
he  had  opened  it  he  found  that  it  contained 
bows  and  arrows,  and  spears  and  lances,  and 
knives  and  other  weapons  used  by  the  hunter. 
Then  the  turn  of  the  white  man  came,  and  he 
took  up  the  last  parcel,  which  was  a  small  one ; 
and  when  he  had  opened  it  there  was  nothing 
in  it  but  a  book. 

*'  When  the  black  man  and  the  red  man  saw 
that  the  white  man  had  nothing  but  a  book 
they  laughed  out  loudly,  and  ridiculed  him 
very  much.  But  the  Great  Spirit  reproved 
them,  and  said,  '  Wait  a  while,  and  perhaps 
you  will  think  differently.'  And  so  they  now 
do  ;  for  it  has  come  to  pass  that  because  of 
the  possession  of  that  book  the  white  man  has 
become  so  learned  and  wise  that  he  is  now 
much  stronger  than  the  others,  and  seems  to 
be  able  to  make  himself  master  of  the  other 
races,  and  to  take  possession  of  all  lands." 


I 


i 


96 


OOWIKAPUN. 


■It 


91 


CHAPTER   VIII. 
Seeking  for  Light. 

HUS  Oowikapun  heard  Mookoomis 
T^  I  at  the  camp  fires  tell  these  weird 
old  stories,  and  in  listening  to  him 
he  tried  to  forget  his  own  sorrows 
and  anxieties. 

When  he  thought  he  had  become  so  well 
acquainted  with  him  that  he  could  make  a 
confidant  of  him,  he  told  him  a  little  of  what 
he  had  learned  from  Memotas,  but  he  was 
careful  to  hide  his  own  secret  feelings,  for  he 
knew  that  Mookoomis  was  a  strong  pagan,  as 
well  as  a  great  hater  of  *^he  whites.  Not  as 
yet  having  met  with  any  of  the  detested  race 
who  were  Christians,  he  thought  they  were  all 
alike,  and  had  only  come  across  the  ocean  to 
rob  and  cheat  and  kill  the  poor  Indian  and 
take  possession  of  all  his  lands. 

One  evening,  when  they  were  alone,  Oowi- 
kapun ventured  to  tell  him  about  the  book  of 
heaven  which  the  white  man  had,  and  which 


!i 

i  1 
■  t 

}    'i 

0^ 

}\ 


Seek  IN  (i  for  Light. 


97 


some  Indians  had  got  hold  ol"  and  were  read- 
ing with  great  interest,  and  that  some  of  them 
had  even  accepted  its  teachings  and  were  be- 
heving  in  them.  This  news  made  Mookoomis 
very  angry,  and  Oowikapun  was  sorry  that  he 
had  told  him  ;  but  it  was  now  too  late,  and  so 
he  had  to  listen  while  the  angry  man  talked 
and  gave  his  views  on  these  things. 

He  said,  referring  to  the  legend,  that  the 
Great  Spirit  never  intended  the  book  for  the 
Indian,  but  that  he  had  made  him  a  hunter, 
and  sent  him  out  into  the  forest  and  the 
prairies,  and  on  the  great  lakes  and  rivers,  and 
there  he  was  to  listen  and  hear  the  Great 
Spirit's  voice  and  see  his  works.  '*  This," 
added  Mookoomis,  "  is  the  Great  Spirit's  plan, 
and  he  will  be  angry  with  any  of  his  red  chil- 
dren who  become  dissatisfied  with  this  ar- 
rangement, and  try  to  go  the  white  man's 
way  or  read  his  book." 

These  talks  did  not  bring  comfort  to  Oowi- 
kapun, or  lift  the  burden  from  his  soul  ;  and  so, 
in  his  desperation,  although  he  did  not  expect 
much  comfort,  he  told  Mookoomis  of  liis 
heart  sorrows  and  disquietude  of  spirit.      The 


i 


a 


9« 


OOWIKAPUN. 


old  man  did  not  get  angry,  but  listened  to 
hnn  very  patiently ;  and  then  advised  and 
even  urged  him  to  go  out  into  the  woods 
away  from  every  human  sound,  and  in  peace- 
ful solitudes  let  nature  speak  to  him  and 
soothe  his  troubled  spirit. 

So  Oowikapun  obeyed  the  voice  of  Moo- 
koomis,  and,  quickly  arranging  his  affairs,  he 
went  out  into  the  solitudes,  far  away  from  any 
human  being,  in  the  hope  that  there,  alone 
with  nature,  he  might  get  rest  for  his  soul.  In 
doing  this  he  was  only  imJtating  thousands 
who,  too  stubborn  or  too  ignorant  to  come  to 
the  great  Comforter  in  his  own  way,  are  try- 
ing in  some  other  way  to  find  that  peace 
which  God  alone  can  give. 

We  pity  those  who  ignorantly  do  these 
things,  but  what  can  we  say  of  those  who 
have  been  taught  the  plan  of  salvation 
through  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
yet  will  go  on  talking  pertly  about  God  in 
nature,  and  of  their  ability  to  find  themselves 
in  him  by  studying  him  in  his  works?  God  in 
nature,  without  Christ,  is  a  riddle,  a  perplex- 
ity, a  mystery. 


♦; 


Skf.kixc,  for  Iacut. 


99 


Wc  pity  poor  Oowikapun.  Just  enough 
light  had  come  to  him  to  show  him  that  he 
was  a  poor,  miserable  sinner,  but  he  had  not 
yet  received  enout^h  to  show  him  the  true 
plan  of  salvation  ;  and  so  he  was  still  groping 
along  in  the  gloom,  and  much  more  to  be 
pitied  than  the  thousands  who  know  in  theory 
what  is  God's  plan  of  salvation,  but  who  re- 
ject it  because  of  their  pride  or  hardness  of 
heart. 

Everything  seemed  against  him.  Mis  eyes 
were  opened  to  see  things  now  as  never  be- 
fore, for  not  as  a  skillful  hunter,  but  as  a 
seeker  after  peace,  was  he  out  in  nature's  sol- 
itudes. Everything  around  liim  seemed  mys- 
terious and  contradictory.  This  teacher, 
nature,  whose  lessons  he  had  come  to  learn, 
seemed  to  be  in  a  very  perverse  mood,  as  if  to 
impart  just  the  reverse  of  what  he  would 
learn,  and  seemed  herself  to  be  destitute  of 
the  very  things  he  had  hoped  she  would  have 
imparted  to  him. 

Sharp  and  rude  was  his  first  awakening 
from  his  illusion.  He  had  not  gone  far  into 
the  wilderness  before   it  came   to  him,  and  it 


100 


OOWIKAPUN. 


happened  thus.  As  he  was  walking  along  in 
the  forest  he  heard,  but  a  short  distance 
ahead  of  him,  a  pitiful  cry  of  a  creature  in 
distress.  Quickly  he  hurried  on,  and  was 
just  in  time  to  sec  the  convulsive  gasp  of  a 
beautiful  young  fawn  that  had  been  seized 
and  was  being  mingled  by  a  great,  fierce  wolf, 
which  had  found  it  where  it  had  been  hidden 
away  by  the  mother  deer  before  she  had  gone 
into  the  beaver  meadows  to  feed. 

To  send  the  death-dealing  bullet  through 
the  brains  of  the  savage  wolf  was  soon  done, 
but,  alas !  it  was  too  late  to  save  the  little  in- 
nocent fawn,  whose  great,  big,  beautiful  eyes 
were  already  glassy  in  death,  and  whose  Hfe- 
blood  pouring  out  from  the  gaping  wounds 
was  crimsoning  the  leaves  and  flowers  where 
it  had  fallen. 

"Is  this,"  said  Oowikapun,  with  sadness  of 
spirit,  "  the  first  lesson  nature  has  for  me  ?  To 
her  I  am  coming  for  peace  and  quietness  of 
spirit,  and  is  this  what  I  first  see?"  Thus  on 
he  traveled  until  he  reached  the  shores  of  a 
great  lake,  where  he  had  resolved  to  stay  for 
a  time,  at  the  advice  of  Mookoomis,  to  try  to 


lliifl! 


Sfi  AiN'd   I  OR  Lidnr 


101 


fiiul    ill   the    solitudes,    in    communion    with 
nature,  that  which  his  soul  craved. 

As  an  observant  hunter  he  had  ever  been  a 
student  of  nature,  but  never  before  witli  such 
an  object  in  his  heart  as  now  filled  it.  Me 
found  no  liappiness  in  liis  investigations,  but 
was  appalled  at  the  sights  which  met  him  and 
the  mysteries  with  which  the  study  of  them 
baffled  him.  Death  and  discord  seemed  to 
reign  everywhere,  and  the  strong  seemed  ever 
tyrannizing  over  the  weak. 

Such  sights  as  the  following  were  ever  be- 
fore him.  One  day,  while  sitting  near  the 
shore  of  the  lake,  where  before  him  the  sunlit 
waters  played  with  the  pebbles  at  his  feet,  he 
saw  a  beautiful  kingfisher  hover  in  mid-air  for 
an  instant,  and  then  suddenly  plunge  down  in 
the  water  and  quickly  rise  up  again  with  a  fine 
fish  in  his  bill.  Almost  instantly,  from  the  top 
of  an  old  dead  tree  near  the  shore,  he  ob- 
served a  fierce  hawk,  whose  sharp  eye  had 
seen  the  fish  thus  captured.  With  a  scream 
that  rang  out  sharp  and  clear,  it  flew  swiftly 
after  the  kingfisher,  and  so  terrified  it  that  it 
quickly  dropped  the   fish   and  hurriedly  flew 


■ft 


102 


OOWIKAI'UN. 


away  to  a  place  of  safctv.  Seizing  the  fish  in 
its  bill,  with  a  scream  of  triumph,  the  hawk- 
was  about  to  return  to  the  shore,  when 
another  actor  appeared  upon  the  scene.  iVway 
up  on  the  side  of  the  cliff,  which  rose  up  a 
little  back  from  the  shore  to  the  height  of  sev- 
eral hundred  feet,  on  a  projecting  ledge  of 
rocks,  a  pair  of  eagles  came  year  after  year 
and  built  their  crude,  wild  nest.  One  of  these 
great  birds  was  watching  the  transaction  going 
on  below.  When  it  heard  the  shrill  scream  of 
triumph  from  the  fishhawk,  it  knew  that  the 
time  for  action  had  arrived.  With  both  wings 
closed  it  shot  down  from  the  aerie,  and  ere 
the  hawk,  with  its  stolen  plunder,  had  reached 
its  old,  storm-beaten  tree,  the  king  of  birds 
struck  it  such  a  blow  that,  dazed  and  terrified, 
it  dropped  the  fish,  and  barely  succeeded  in 
getting  away.  It  was  not  the  fishhawk  the 
eagle  was  after,  but  fish ;  and  as  the  active 
bird  saw  the  fish  drop  from  the  beak  of  the 
fishhawk,  it  flew  down  after  it  and  caught  it 
in  mid-air  ere  it  reached  the  water.  Then,  in 
majestic  circles,  it  slowly  ascended  to  its 
aerie.      This  sight  under  other  circumstances 


SKF.KINd    FOR     Lie,  Ml- 


103 


woukl  liavc  been  cnjo}ablc  ;  but  now ,  \\\\v\\  lu: 
was  a  seeker   in   nature   fur  peace  and   happi- 
ness, the  <^rcecl  ami    rapacity  of  the  stronger 
over  the  weaker  only  filled  him  with  sadness. 
Thus    for   several    weeks  lie   tried   to  studv 

0 

nature,  or  to  learn  lessons  from  her,  while,  far 
away  from  all  his  people,  he  dwelt  in  his  little 
camp,  which  he  had  rrade  at  the  foot  of  a 
beautiful  birch  tree,  or  wandered  over  the  hills 
or  in  the  forests.  I^ut  he  was  no  better  off,  for 
all  the  sights  that  met  his  eyes  were  very 
similar  to  those  we  have  described.  It  was 
cruelty  and  death  and  destruction  everywhere. 

Nature  alone  and  unaided  docs  not  reveal 
Christ  the  Saviour.  Since  the  fall,  and  the  en- 
trance of  sin  with  all  of  its  attendant  miseries 
into  this  once  glorious  world  of  ours,  the  study 
of  nature,  with  all  her  vagaries,  without  the 
light  of  revelation  to  clear  up  her  mysteries,  is 
more  apt  to  drive  men  from  God  than  to  draw 
them  to  him. 

So  Oovvikapun  found  out,  especially  one 
night,  after  tossing  about  on  his  bed  of  balsam 
boughs  in  his  little  tent.  While  lying  there, 
utterly  miserable  and  dissatisfied  with  himself, 


■  ! 


104 


OOWIKAPUN. 


he  was  startled  by  hearing,  far  away,  the  dull, 
sullen  roar  of  thunder,  telling  of  an  approach- 
ing storm.  Such  was  the  mode  in  which  he 
was  that  this  sound  was  welcomed,  and  he 
sprang  up  rejoicing,  for  there  had  suddenly 
come  into  his  mind  the  thought  that  perhaps 
now  he  would  hear  something  in  nature's  voice 
from  which  he  could  draw  comfort  and  happi- 
ness. 

With  this  hop?  in  his  heart  he  went  out  of 
his  tent  and  seated  himself  on  a  rock  near  at 
hand.  One  by  one  the  stars  disappeared  as 
the  thick,  black  clouds  came  rolling  up,  quickly 
covering  the  whole  expanse  of  heaven,  and 
making  the  night  one  of  inky  darkness,  save 
when  the  cliffs  and  forest,  islands  and  lake, 
were  illumined  by  the  vivid  lightning's  flash. 

Soothed  by  that  awesome  feeling  which 
comes  to  many  in  the  brief  last  moments  which 
precede  the  burst  of  the  tempest,  Oowikapun 
was  comforted,  and  began  to  say  to  himself, 
"  At  last  I  hear  the  voice  of  nature  for  /hich  I 
have  so  long  been  waiting,  and  now  tranquil- 
lized I  wait  for  all  she  has  to  tell  me  of  comfort 
and  of  rest." 


Seeking  for  Light 


105 


Hardly  had  these  thoughts  passed  through 
his  mind  ere  there  came  a  lightning  flash  so 
vivid,  and  a  thunderbolt  so  near  and  powerful, 
followed  by  a  crashing  peal  of  thunder  so 
sudden  and  so  deafening,  that  Oowikapun  was 
completely  stunned  and  thrown  helpless  to  the 
ground.  When  he  recovered  consciousness  the 
storm  had  nearly  died  away.  A  few  muttering 
growls  of  thunder  could  still  be  heard,  and 
some  flashes  of  lightning  upon  the  distant 
horizon  told  in  which  direction  the  storm  had 
disappeared. 

Oowikapun  staggered  to  his  feet,  and  tried 
to  comprehend  what  had  happened.  That 
something  had  struck  him  was  evident.  What 
it  was  at  first  he  was  too  bewildered  to  under- 
stand. Thinking  the  best  thing  he  could  do 
in  this  dazed  condition  would  be  to  go  back 
under  the  shelter  of  his  little  tent,  he  turned 
to  do  so,  but  found  it  an  impossibility.  The 
thunderbolt  that  had  stunned  him  had  struck 
the  large  birch  tree,  and  so  shattered  it  to 
pieces  that,  as  it  fell,  it  had  crushed  down  the 
little  wigwam  into  a  helpless  wreck. 

Great  indeed  was  the  disappointment  and 


li 


Ili 


106 


OOWIKAPUN. 


vexation  of  Oowikapun,  who,  while  vainly 
imagining  that  at  length  he  was  about  to  hear 
the  soothing  voice  of  nature  to  comfort  and 
bless  him,  got  from  her  such  a  crack  that  he 
was  knocked  senseless,  and,  in  addition,  had 
his  dweUing  place  completely  wrec  .ed.  Grop- 
ing round  in  the  ruins,  he  succeeded  in  finding 
his  blanket,  which  he  threw  over  his  shoulders 
as  a  slight  protection  against  the  heavy  rain, 
which  continued  falling  all  night. 

Oowikapun  still  lingered  in  his  lonely  forest 
retreat.  His  pride  revolted  at  the  idea  of  hav- 
ing to  return  to  the  village  and  confess  that  all 
his  efforts  had  been  in  vain  and  that  only  de- 
feat and  humiliation  had  been  his  lot. 

So  a  new  wigwam  was  built  in  a  more 
sheltered  place  amid  the  dark  evergreen  trees. 
His  depression  of  spirit  was  such  that  for  a 
long  time  he  left  his  abode  only  when  hunger 
compelled  him  to  hunt  for  his  necessary  food. 
When  he  did  resume  his  wanderings  they  were 
generally  in  the  night.  The  singing  of  the 
birds  had  no  charm  for  him,  and  the  bright- 
ness of  the  summer  days  chased  not  away  his 
gloom.      More    congenial   to    him    were    the 


hi 


Seeking  for  Light. 


107 


"  watches  of  the  night,"  when  the  few  sounds 
that  fell  upon  his  ears  were  weird  and  ghostly. 
Here,  amid  the  gloomy  shadows  where  the 
only  sounds  were  the  sighing  of  the  winds 
among  the  trees,  the  melancholy  hootings  of 
the  owls,  or  the  distant  howlings  of  the  wolves, 
he  passed  many  weary  hours. 

The  psalmist,  with  adoring  love,  could  say : 
*'  Day  unto  day  uttereth  speech,  and  night  unto 
night  showeth  knowledge,"  but  to  Oowikapun 
neither  the  "  speech "  of  the  day  nor  the 
**  knowledge  "  of  the  night  gave  any  responsive 
answer  to  his  heart's  longings  or  led  him  any 
nearer  to  the  source  of  soul  comfort.  And 
yet  nature  spoke  to  him  as  grandly  as  it  was 
possible  for  her  to  utter  her  voice,  and  her  last 
effort  was  of  the  sublimest  character  and  such 
as  but  few  mortals  are  permitted  to  witness. 

It  came  to  Oowikapun  one  night  when  he 
had  aimlessly  wandered  far  out  from  the  shad- 
ows of  the  forest  gloom,  to  a  spot  where  the 
canopy  of  heaven,  bright  with  its  multitudes 
of  stars,  was  above  him. 

Perhaps  in  no  other  lau  1  can  nature  in  her 
varied  aspects   of  sublimity  and  grandeur  as 


',9.'^ 


V, 


io8 


OOWIKAPUN. 


regards  celestial  phenomena,  be  better  studied 
than  in  the  wild  north-land.  Her  cyclonic 
storms  in  summer  and  her  blizzard  blasts  in 
winter  are  at  times  not  only  terrific  in  their 
destructive  power,  but  they  are  also  over- 
whelmingly grand  in  their  appearance. 

Then  her  "  visions  of  the  night  "  are  at 
times  sublimely  beautiful.  Her  star-decked 
vault  of  heaven,  absolutely  free  from  all  mists 
and  fogs  and  damps,  seems  so  high  and  vast. 
The  stars  glisten  and  twinkle  with  wondrous 
clearness.  The  flashing  meteors  fade  out  but 
slowly,  and  the  moon  is  so  white  and  bright 
that  her  shadows  cast  are  often  as  vivid  as 
those  of  the  sun  in  some  other  lands. 

But  nothing  equals  a  first-class  field  night 
of  the  mysterious  aurora  borealis.  No  other 
phenomenon  of  nature  in  magnitude  of  dis- 
play, in  varied  brilliancy  of  color,  in  bewilder- 
ing rapidity  of  movement,  in  grandeur  so 
celestial,  in  its  very  existence  so  unaccount- 
able, is  calculated  to  lift  man  up  and  away 
from  things  earthly,  into  the  very  realm  and 
presence  of  the  spiritual,  as  does  a  first-class 
display  of  the  northern  lights,  as  seen  in  the 


I  ' 


Seeking  for  Light. 


109 


far  north-land.  While  they  are  generally 
more  frequent  in  the  winter  months  than  at 
other  times  of  the  year,  yet  they  arc  very  un- 
certain  in  their  comings,  and  sometimes  burst 
upon  the  world  and  illuminate  and  fill  up  with 
celestial  glory  the  brief  hours  of  some  of  the 
short  summer  nights. 

To  Oowikapun,  in  his  mental  darkness  and 
disquietude,  there  came  one  of  these  more 
than  earthly  visions  of  entrancing  beauty.  If 
in  any  one  of  nature's  phenomena  she  could 
speak  to  a  troubled  soul,  surely  it  would  be  in 
this.  For  while  to  Elijah  the  answer  was  in 
the  still  small  voice,  yet  man  unaided  by  divine 
revelation  prefers  the  earthquake  and  the  fire, 
or  some  other  grand,  overwhelming  manifesta- 
tion of  nature's  power,  which  appeals  to  the 
sensuous  rather  than  to  the  spiritual. 

To  these  Northern  Indians  the  auroras  have 
ever  been  associated  with  the  ghostly  or  spirit- 
ual. In  some  of  the  tribes  the  literal  transla- 
tion of  the  northern' lights  is  the  **  spirits  of 
their  forefathers  going  out  to  battle." 

The  display  that  Oov^^ikapun  gazed  upon 
was  one  of  more  than  ordinary  sublimity.    He 


r  <i 


no 


OOWIKAPUN. 


had  left  his  little  wigwam  which  nestled 
among  the  balsams,  and  had  gone  out  from 
the  forest  gloom  and  had  seated  himself  on 
the  shore  of  the  lake  where  the  little  waves 
made  soothing  music  as  they  played  among 
the  pebbles  at  his  feet.  The  sun  had  gone 
down  in  splendor,  leaving  a  glorious  radiance 
of  sapphire  and  crimson  on  hills  and  waves. 
Quietly  and  imperceptibly  the  shadows  of 
night  mantled  the  long  twilight  gloaming,  and 
then  one  by  one  the  stars  came  out  from  their 
hiding  places,  until  the  whole  high  dome  of 
heaven  was  bright.  The  milky  way  bright- 
ened into  wondrous  distinctness,  until  it 
seemed  to  Oowikapun  like  a  great  pathway, 
and  he  wondered,  as  held  in  the  tradition  of 
his  people,  if  on  it,  by  and  by,  he  should 
travel  to  the  happy  hunting  grounds  of  his 
fathers. 

After  a  time  a  brightness  began  to  dawn  in 
the  northern  sky,  and  then  from  it  some  bril- 
liant streamers  of  light  suddenly  shot  up  to  the 
heavens  above.  Then  wavy  ribbons  of  light 
quickly  followed,  and  rapidly  unrolling  them- 
selves parallel  with  the  horizon,  quivered  and 


it  ■ 


Seeking  for  Light. 


Ill 


danced  in  rhythmic  movements,  blazing  out  at 
times  in  varied  vivid  colors  as  they  gracefully 
undulated  from  east  to  west.  Often  had 
Oowikapun  seen  these  displays,  but  up  to  this 
time  he  had  only  gazed  with  languid  interest 
upon  these  nightly  visitants.  This  night,  how- 
ever, there  was  a  display  so  glorious  that  he 
stood  as  one  entranced. 

With  a  suddenness  that  can  be  shown  only 
by  electrical  phenomena,  there  almost  instan- 
taneously shot  up  from  below  the  eastern  hori- 
zon a  dazzling  blaze  of  gorgeous  electrical 
light,  which  in  successive  bounds  rushed  on 
and  on  until,  like  a  brilliant  meteor  a  million 
times  magnified,  it  spanned  the  heavens,  and 
for  a  time  in  purest  white  it  seemed  to  hang 
an  arch  of  truce  from  heaven  to  earth.  For  a 
little  while  it  quivered  in  its  dazzling  white- 
ness, and  then  from  it  flashed  out  streamers  in 
all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow.  With  one  end 
holding  on  to  the  arch  of  snowy  whiteness 
they  danced  and  scintillated  and  blazed  until 
the  whole  heavens  seemed  aglow.  Then 
breaking  loose  they  seemed  to  form  them- 
selves into  whole  battalions  of  soldiers,  and 


«.■' 


I 


112 


OOWIKAPUN. 


ill 


tiii 


advanced  and  fought  and  retreated  until  the 
heavens  seemed  to  be  the  battlefield  of  the 
ages,  and  stained  with  the  blood  of  millions 
slain.  During  all  the  apparent  carnage,  great 
streamers  waved  continuously  above  the  con- 
tending armies,  and  seemed  like  great  battle 
flags  leading  on  the  forces  to  greater  deeds  of 
valor.  Sometimes  they  seemed  to  change 
into  great  fiery  swords,  ready  to  add  to  the 
apparent  carnage  and  destruction  that  seemed 
so  intensely  real. 

Thus  in  ever-changing  glories  the  vision  of 
the  heavens  above  continued,  while  Oowika- 
pun,  awed  and  subdued  in  spirit,  felt  thankful 
that  he  was  only  a  spectator  upon  such  scenes 
of  ghostly  carnage  and  blood.  But  impressive 
and  glorious  as  what  had  already  been  re- 
vealed, the  auroras  had  yet  in  reserve  the  cli- 
max of  their  display,  and  when  it  came  it 
nearly  froze  his  blood  in  his  veins,  and  threw 
him  trembling  and  terrified  on  his  face  upon 
the  ground.  Suddenly  did  the  change  come. 
With  the  rapidity  of  a  lightning  flash,  the 
great  quivering  arch  of  light  transformed  itself 
into  a  corona  of  such  dazzling  splendor  that 


Seeking  for  Light. 


i«3 


no  words  can  describe  it.  From  purest  white 
the  multitudes  of  streamers,  of  which  it  was 
now  composed,  suddenly  changed  to  pink  and 
blue,  and  green  and  yellow,  all  the  time  flit- 
ting and  scintillating  so  rapidly  that  the  eyes 
were  pained  in  their  vain  efforts  to  follow  the 
rapid  flights. 

Then  in  a  twinklin^  of  an  eye  the  whole 
changed  to  a  deep,  blood-red  crimson — so 
bloodlike,  so  terrible,  so  dazzling,  so  awful, 
that  the  brave  man  was  crushed  down,  terrified 
and  subdued  before  this  blinding  display  of 
the  omnipotent  power  of  the  Great  Spirit. 

The  dauntless  courage  that  had  made  him 
exult  at  the  prospect  of  meeting  the  fiercest 
bear  in  the  forest,  with  no  other  weapon  than  his 
trusty  hunting  knife,  or  the  most  hostile  foe  of 
his  tribe,  was  of  no  avail  here,  and  so,  a  crushed 
and  vanquished  man,  as  soon  as  he  could,  he 
cowered  back  to  his  wigwam,  where,  wrapping 
himself  in  his  blanket,  he  long  remained.  He 
trembled  at  the  thought  of  having  been  in  such 
apparent  contact  with  the  spirit  land,  while  his 
unhappy  soul  chided  him  w  ith  a  sense  of  his 
unfitness  for  that  unknown  life  beyond. 


4 


li 


.!it 


III 


114 


OOVVIKAPUN. 


:l  i 


Poor  Oovvikapun,  he  was  like  many  who,  al- 
though they  live  under  happier  influences 
and  amid  the  blaze  of  Gospel  day,  yet  foolishly 
think  that  if  some  heavenly  manifestation  of 
the  glory  beyond,  some  glimpse  of  the  land 
that  is  afar  off,  or  some  sight  of  its  celestial  in- 
habitants, were  given  them  to  enjoy,  very 
quickly  would  they  be  convinced  and  con- 
verted. 

John,  the  beloved  disciple,  saw  the  New 
Jerusalem  and  its  inhabitants;  dazzled  and  con- 
fused he  fell  at  the  feet  of  one  of  those  re- 
deemed ones,  and  worshiped  the  creature 
instead  of  the  Creator. 

Something  more  than  the  mere  visions  of 
heaven's  glories  or  northern  auroras  are  nec- 
essary to  give  peace  to  the  troubled  soul. 
Even  so  found  unhappy  Oovvikapun,  for  when 
the  excitement  of  these  night  visions  wore  off*, 
he  felt  more  than  ever  crushed  down  with  a 
sense  of  his  own  littleness,  while  darker  seemed 
his  spiritual  vision  than  ever  before  these 
auroral  glories  had  blazed  and  flashed  around 
him. 

Disgusted  and  disappointed,  he  packed  up 


Skekin(;  K»k  LuiHT. 


»iS 


his  few  things  and  returned  to  his  village 
more  miserable  and  depressed  in  spirit  than 
ever. 

He  had  had  many  evidences  of  a  Creator, 
but  had  met  with  nothing  that  told  him  of  a 
Saviour.  The  idea  of  being  able  to  "  look  up 
through  nature  unto  nature's  God,"  is  an  utter 
impossibility  unless  the  one  looking  has  some 
knowledge  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus.  With  this 
knowledge  in  his  possession  he  can  answer  as 
did  the  devout  philosopher  when  asked  the 
question,  "  What  are  the  latest  discoveries  in 
nature?"  replied,  "God  everywhere." 

With  God  revealed  in  Christ  Jesus  there  is 
something  real  in  which  to  trust.  Her  mys- 
teries that  long  perplexed  are  cleared  up,  and 
darkness  that  long  continued  is  dissipated,  and 
the  trusting  one  realizes  that  no  longer  is  he 
slowly  and  feebly  feeling  his  way  along  on  the 
''  sinking  sands  "  of  uncertainties,  but  is  se- 
curely built  on  the  **  Rock  of  ages." 


ft 

f. 


\i 


m6 


OOWIKAPUN. 


t  ii 


11 


In    * 


il      t^ 


CHAPTER  IX. 
Physical  Torture. 


0 


■  ••••iisiiaiiaMi 


jOWIKAPUN  shortly  after  his  return 
I  to  the  village  found  his  way  to  the 
I  tent  of  Mookoomis,  and  candidly 
told  him  of  his  complete  failure  to 
find  anything  of  comfort  or  peace  of  mind  in 
communion  with  nature.  He  said  he  had 
faithfully  carried  out  his  directions,  but  that 
everything  he  hoped  would  have  in  it  help  or 
satisfaction  seemed  to  have  had  just  the  reverse. 
Mookoomis  listened  intently  to  all  he  had  to 
say,  and  then,  perhaps  for  the  first  time  in  his 
life,  freely  admitted  his  own  dissatisfaction  and 
uncertainty  of  belief  in  their  Indian  way;  but 
he  was  an  obstinate,  wicked  old  man,  and 
determined,  if  possible,  to  keep  Oowikapun 
walking,  as  he  again  said,  '*  as  our  forefathers 
walked."  So  he  urged  him  to  make  the  great 
trial  of  fasting  and  personal  torture,  and  see  if 
in  the  delirium  of  physical  agonies  the  voice 
of  comfort  for  which  he  was  longing  would 
not  come  to  him. 


I.-si. 


;-«i      'i 
I 


Phvsicai,   ToKrURK. 


iW 


For  a  long  lime  Oowilsapuii  hesitated  to 
uiulertakc  this  terrible  ordeal,  called  by  the 
Western  Indians  the  hock-c-a-yuin,  a  ceremony 
so  severe  and  dreadful  that  many  an  Indian 
has  never  recovered  from  its  agonies.  Great 
indeed  must  be  the  wretched  disquietude  that 
will  cause  human  beings,  who  are  made  to 
shrink  from  pain,  endure  what  thousands  vol- 
untarily submit  to,  if  only  they  can  get  peace 
to  their  souls. 

Oowikapun  spent  weeks  in  a  state  of  inde- 
cision, and  then  resolved  to  follow  the  advice 
of  old  Mookoomis ;  and  so  in  his  blindness 
and  folly  he  found  himself,  although  he  knew 
it  not,  in  company  with  a  vast  multitude  wlio 
in  their  ignorance  and  superstition,  are  hoping 
by  inflicting  torture  on  their  bodies  to  atone 
for  sin  and  merit  heaven. 

Great  indeed  was,  and  still  is,  this  innumer- 
able company  of  deluded  ones.  They  are 
found  by  the  missionaries  almost  everywhere. 
The  poor,  ignorant  Hindoo  on  the  burning 
plains  of  his  native  land,  seated  on  a  stone 
pillar,  with  arm  extended  until  it  has 
become  fixed  and  rigid,  while  the  ever-growing 


iil 


;i 


i? 


ii 


ii8 


OOWIKAPUN. 


J 


finger  nails  have  pierced  through  his  clenched 
hand,  is  one  of  the  sad  company.  Another  is 
that  poor  fanatic  who  measured  the  whole  dis- 
tance, many  hundreds  of  miles,  which 
stretched  from  his  jungle  home  to  the  Ganges 
by  prostrating  his  body  on  the  ground  as  a 
measuring  rod.  In  this  sad  procession  are 
millions  and  millions  of  unhappy  souls,  with- 
out God,  and  therefore  without  hope.  They 
are  going  down  from  the  darkness  of  sin  and 
error  to  the  darkness  of  the  tomb,  with  none 
to  whisper  in  their  ears  the  story  of  redeeming 
love ;  and  so  in  their  blindness  and  folly, 
believing  that  God  delights  in  misery  and 
pain  and  suffering,  they  torture  their  poor 
bodies  ;  and  in  some  instances  still,  as  in  olden 
times,  **  give  of  the  fruit  of  their  body  for  the 
sin  of  their  soul,"  if  by  these  or  any  other 
means  they  can  propitiate  the  One  whom  they 
hope  can  give  them  peace. 

The  contemplation  of  a  multitude  so  vast 
and  in  a  condition  so  deplorable  makes  our 
hearts  sad,  and  shows  us  how  imperative  is  the 
call  to  each  of  us  to  do  all  we  can  to  carry  to 
them,  or,  if  this  is  impossible,  to  aid  in  send- 


- 1  "E 


Physical  'roRTURE. 


119 


ing  to  them,  the  blessed  truth  whicli  alune  can 
make  them  happy.  Poor  Oowikapun  was  now 
in  this  sad  company.  All  his  fears  are  aroused, 
and  in  his  vain  efforts  to  quiet  them  he  is  about 
to  go  through  a  most  severe  ordeal  of  fasting 
and  acute  physical  suffering.  How  terrible  is 
sin !  How  dreadful  must  be  the  goadings  of 
the  guilty  conscience  when  men  and  women 
will  so  punish  themselves,  if  thereby  they  can 
find  relief! 

When  Oowikapun  had  finally  resolved  on  his 
course  of  action  he  immediately  set  about 
carrying  it  out.  He  joined  himself  to  a  com- 
pany of  "  braves"  who  were  also  going  to  pass 
through  the  ceremony  oUtock-c-a-yum.  Differ- 
ent motives  were  in  the  hearts  of  those  who 
were  about  to  undergo  the  trying  ordeal. 
Some  of  them  were  ambitious  to  become  great 
warriors  or  hunters,  others  were  ambitious  to 
become  leaders  or  great  medicine  men  among 
the  tribes.  To  succeed  in  their  ambitious 
purposes,  it  was  necessary  that  the  ordeal  of 
suffering  should  be  passed  through. 

While  the  majority  were  thus  fired  by  their 
selfish  hopes    of   attaining    prominence    and 


■  i 


;! 


j 


i(; 


\ 


i 

1 

f 

Hi 

niTU 

...     :» 

JL'T     i  R 


ifiii 


mil 


!        !i;- 


T;    > 


I  20 


OOWIKAPUN. 


position  as  the  result  of  their  suffering,  there 
were  several  like  Oowikapun  who  were  un- 
happy in  their  souls,  and  were  going  to  try 
this  method  in  hope  of  relief.  Perhaps,  like 
him,  they  had  in  some  way  or  other  been  in  a 
place  where  a  few  rays  of  light  had  shone 
upon  their  souls.  These  had  revealed  to  them 
the  sinfulness  of  their  lives  and  the  hideous- 
ness  of  sin  ;  but  being  ignorant  of  the  great 
Physician,  instead  of  looking  to  him  for  heal- 
ing and  happiness,  they  were  going  to  see  if 
there  was  any  efficacy  in  these  trying  ordeals. 

As  the  ceremonies  were  only  held  in  the  far 
West,  where  the  devotees  gathered  from  various 
tribes,  Oowikapun  and  those  with  him  had  to 
travel  for  many  days  ere  they  reached  the 
place. 

Far  beyond  the  limits  of  the  hunting 
grounds  of  his  people  did  he  and  his  deluded 
comrades  journey.  They  had  to  work  up  the 
swift  current  and  make  many  portages  around 
the  rapids  of  the  Nelson  River.  Then  across 
the  northern  part  of  treacherous  Lake  Winni- 
peg they  ventured  in  their  frail  canoes,  and  only 
their  consummate  skill  in  the  management  of 


m  \ 


i  *i 


j; 

M 

<     i 

■ 

I 

>  '\f 


3 

o 

#-»■ 
O 
!3 


i 


Physical  Torture. 


123 


these  frail  boats  saved  them  from  going  down 
to  watery  graves. 

Up  the  mighty  Saskatchewan  for  nearly  a 
thousand  miles  they  hurried  on.  If  their 
minds  had  not  been  trou^^ied  at  the  prospect 
of  their  coming  sufferings,  they  would  as 
hunters  have  been  delighted  by  that  trip 
through  that  glorious  western  country  which 
then  teemed  with  game.  Multitudes  of  buf- 
falo coming  down  to  the  great  river  to  drink, 
first  gazed  on  them  with  curiosity  and  then, 
when  alarmed,  went  thundering  over  the 
plains.  The  great  antlered  elks  were  seen  in 
troops  upon  the  bluffs  and  hills,  and  bears  of 
different  kinds  went  lumbering  along  the 
shores.  Beautiful  antelopes  with  their  large 
luminous  eyes  looked  at  them  for  a  moment 
and  then  went  flying  over  the  prairies  like  the 
gazelles  in  the  desert. 

They  landed  at  Edmonton,  where  now  there 
nestles  in  beauty  on  its  picturesque  bluffs  a 
flourishing  little  town.  Oowikapun  and  his 
comrades  in  those  days,  however,  found  only 
the  old  historic  fort,  even  then  famous  as  the 
scene  of  many  an  exciting  event  between  the 


Ml 


«* 


M 

i 


u 


"S. 


!    r 


*•    r 


124 


OOWIKAPUN. 


enterprising  fur  traders  and  the  proud,  war- 
like Indians  of  the  plains. 

Here  they  left  their  canoes,  and  after  ex- 
changing some  furs  for  needed  supplies  they 
started  southwest  on  the  long  trail  of  many 
days'  toilsome  traveling,  until  at  length  the 
place  of  the  fearful  ordeal  was  reached. 

Into  the  details  of  the  scenes  and  events  of 
the  Indian  ceremony  of  torture,  I  am  not  go- 
ing to  enter.  Catlin  has  with  pen  and  brush 
described  it  in  a  way  to  chill  the  blood  and 
fill  our  sleeping  hours  with  horrid  dreams. 

Suffice  to  say  that  Oowikapun  put  himself 
in  the  hands  of  the  torturers,  and,  first  of  all, 
they  kept  him  for  four  days  and  nights  with- 
out allowing  him  a  mouthful  of  food  or  drink. 
Neither  did  they  permit  him  to  have  a  mo- 
ment's sleep.  Then  they  stripped  off  his 
upper  garments,  and,  cutting  long,  parallel 
gashes  in  his  breast  down  to  the  bone,  they 
lifted  up  the  flesh  and  there  tied  to  the  quiver- 
ing flesh  ends  of  horsehair  ropes  about  three 
quarters  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  The  other 
ends  of  these  two  ropes  were  fastened  to  a 
high  pole  about  fifteen  feet  from  the  ground. 


Physical  Torture. 


"S 


At  first  the  upper  ends  of  these  ropes  were 
drawn  through  rude  pulleys,  and  poor  Oowi- 
kapun  was  dragged  up  six  or  eight  feet  from 
the  ground  and  held  there  for  several  min- 
utes by  the  bleeding,  lacerated,  distended 
muscles  of  his  breast.  Then  the  ropes  were 
suddenly  loosened  from  above,  and  he  fell 
witn  a  sickening  thud  to  the  ground.  Quickly 
they  raised  him  up  on  his  feet  and  made  fast 
the  ropes  to  the  upper  end  of  the  pole,  and  left 
him  to  struggle  and  pull  until  the  muscles  rot- 
ted or  were  worn  away,  and  he  was  free.  Four 
days  passed  by  ere  he  succeeded  in  breaking 
away,  and  during  that  time  not  a  morsel  of 
food  or  a  drop  of  water  was  given  him. 

Weeks  passed  away  ere  Oowikapun  recovered 
from  those  fearful  wounds,  and,  after  all,  what 
did  they  accomplish  for  him  ?  Nothing  at  all. 
He  was,  if  possible,  more  wretched  in  mind 
than  in  body.  No  voice  of  comfort  had  he 
heard.  No  dispelling  of  the  darkness,  no  lift- 
ing of  the  heavy  loads,  no  assurance  of  pardon 
and  forgiveness  Is  it  any  wonder  that  he 
was  discouraged,  and  that  his  sharp-eyed 
neighbors  looked  at  him   at   times  with   sus- 


tJE-j 


ii 

mm 


'  ^1; 


iK^I 


II 


',iJ 


jii' 

'  'I! 


126 


OOWIKAPUN. 


picion,  and  said  one  to  another  that  some- 
thing must  be  wrong  in  his  head  ? 

To  convince  them  that  his  mind  was  not 
disordered  or  his  reason  affected,  Oowikapun 
attended  the  councils  of  the  tribe,  and  ever 
showed  himself  clear-headed  in  discussion  and 
debate.  He  applied  himself  with  renewed 
diligence  to  his  work  as  a  hunter,  and  remem- 
bering Memotas's  love  for  his  household, 
strove  to  imitate  him  in  liis  conduct  toward 
his  mother  and  the  younger  members  of  Lis 
family.  Disgusted  and  annoyed  that  nothing 
but  disappointment  and  suffering  had  come 
to  him  from  following  the  advice  of  Moo- 
koomis,  he  shunned  his  society  and  would 
have  none  of  his  counsel. 

So  passed  the  summer  months,  and  when 
the  winter  came  again  there  arose  in  the 
breast  of  Oowikapun  a  longing  desire,  doubt- 
less it  had  been  there  before,  to  go  and  see 
Astumastao,  the  brave  maiden  who  had  been 
his  real  friend,  and  had  told  him  words  which 
had  done  him  more  good  than  anything  else 
he  had  heard  since  he  had  parted  from 
Memotas. 


Physical  Torture. 


12/ 


n 
h 
c 


About  her  he  had  never  spoken  a  word  to 
anyone,  but  her  bright  eyes  had  buried  them- 
selves in  his  heart,  while  her  brave  words  had 
fixed  themselves  in  his  memory. 

So  making  up  some  excuse  in  reference  tc 
business  with  his  relatives  in  the  distant  vil- 
lage where  dwelt  the  fair  maiden,  he  prepared 
for  the  journey.  He  arrayed  himself  in  new 
and  picturesque  apparel,  and  with  his  little 
outfit  on  a  liglit  sled,  and  his  gun  in  his  hand, 
and  his  ax  and  knife  in  his  belt,  he  set  off  for 
the  village  where  he  had  made  such  a  sad  fall, 
after  all  his  resolves  to  have  nothing  more  to 
do  with  devil  worship. 

Is  it  surprising  that,  as  he  hurried  along,  he 
forgot  much  of  his  sorrow,  and  was  filled  with 
pleasurable  excitement  at  the  prospect  of 
meeting  Astumastao  again  ?  True,  he  would 
check  himself  and  say  he  was  acting  or  think- 
ing foolishly,  for  Astumastao  might  be  mar- 
ried or  the  bride  selected,  by  her  uncle,  for 
some  one  else,  for  all  he  knew.  Why,  then, 
should  he  so  think  about  her?  True,  she  had 
been  very  kind  to  him  in  his  sorrow,  but  then 

he  had  only  met  her  once,  and  so  why  should 
9 


mil  ¥f— law 


it 


i 


■i 


t; 


ii 


III 


im 


i2b 


OowiKAprN. 


he  be  continually  thinking  about  her  ?  Thus 
he  reasoned  with  himself,  but  he  kept  hurry- 
ing along  as  never  before,  and  he  did  not  try 
very  hard  to  banish  her  from  his  lieart  and 
memory.  And  fortunate  it  was  for  Astumas- 
tao  that  Oowikapun  was  on  the  way. 

When  Astumastao  returned  to  the  village 
after  her  conversation  with  Oowikapun  she 
found  the  people  excited  by  his  story  of  the 
fire  burning  in  his  wigwam  and  the  meal  pre- 
pared and  ready  for  him.  How  these  things 
could  have  been  done  without  anyone  finding 
it  out,  when  they  were  all  so  alert  and  quic!:- 
witted,  amazed  them.  Then  it  was  to  them 
such  a  breach  of  the  rules  or  usages  of  such 
occasions.  Who,  they  said  in  their  excitement, 
could  have  been  so  presumptuous  as  to  break 
the  long-established  custom,  and  take  in  food 
and  fire  to  one  of  the  dancers? 

W^hile  some  said  that  one  of  their  number 
must  have  done  it  while  the  others  slept  so 
soundly  after  the  exciting  days  through  which 
they  had  been  passing,  there  were  others,  tinged 
with  superstition,  who  declared,  with  bated 
breath,  that  the  gods  must  have  had  special 


Physical  Torture. 


T-9 


love  for  him,  and  had  themselves  come  and 
supplied  his  wants. 

To  all  of  these  things  Astumastao  listened, 
and,  not  being  suspected,  she  kept  what  she 
knew  in  her  heart.  She  was  an  active,  brave 
girl,  and  knew  how  to  handle  both  the  paddle 
and  the  gun.  Kistayimoowin,  her  uncle,  was 
pleased  with  her  prowess  and  industry,  and 
while  possessing  the  pagan  ideas  about 
women,  so  that  he  would  never  allow  himself 
to  show  them  an)'  particular  affection,  yet  ever 
since  she  had  been  brought  as  a  little  child 
into  his  wigwam  he  had  treated  her  not  un- 
kindly. With  his  superstitious  nature  he  had 
been  strongly  influenced  by  the  words  of  the 
missionary,  when  he  handed  the  orphan  child 
over  to  his  care,  and  had  told  him  that  if  he 
wanted  the  favor  of  the  Great  Spirit  he  must 
treat  her  kindly  and  well. 

So  it  happened  that  as  Kistayimoowin  had 
no  children  of  his  own,  this  bright,  active  girl 
was  always  with  him  and  his  wife  as  they. 
Indianlike,  moved  from  one  hunting  ground  to 
another  in  quest  of  different  kinds  of  game. 
As  she  was  so  quick  and  observant,  her  uncle 


\h 


i  -^ 


■  ^Tw«il-»i?wi  tr^i 


li 


\\     f  t 


130 


OOWIKAPUN. 


had  taught  her  many  things  about  the  habits 
and  instincts  of  the  different  animals  and  the 
best  method  known  for  their  capture.  The  re- 
sult was  she  had  become  a  very  Diana,  skillful 
and  enthusiastic  in  the  cliase. 

Thus  the  years  rolled  on,  and  she  grew  to 
beautiful  young  womanhood,  and  more  than 
one  pair  of  eyes  looked  toward  her  as  the  one 
they  would  like  to  woo  and  win,  or,  as  they 
thought  of  it,  be  able  by  abundant  or  valuable 
gifts  to  purchase  her  from  her  uncle.  Up  to 
this  time,  however,  he  had  repelled  most  de- 
cidedly all  advances  made  to  him  for  her,  and 
had  acted  in  so  harsh  a  manner  toward  all 
would-be  suitors  that  they  had  been  obliged 
to  keep  at  a  respectful  distance.  So  Astumas- 
tao  was  still  free  as  a  prairie  breeze. 


Ki    ifl 


A  Mortal  Wound. 


i3» 


IT 

I'  aiiaoXiaxaii 


CHAPTER  X. 
A  Mortal  Wound. 

"1HR  summer  following  the  visit  of 
Oowikapun,  Kist.iyimoowin  had 
taken  his  wife  and  his  niece  and 
j^oiic  out  to  an  island  in  one  of  the 
large  lakes  to  hunt  and  fish.  Theirs  was  the 
only  wigwam  on  that  island  that  summer. 
While  out  in  a  small  canoe  on  the  lake  one 
day  shooting  ducks,  his  gun,  which  was  an  old 
flintlock,  unfortunately  burst,  and,  not  only 
severely  wounded  him,  but  caused  him  to  up- 
set the  canoe  while  out  about  half  a  mile  from 
the  shore.  His  wife  and  Astumastao  heard 
his  wild  whoop  of  danger,  and  quickly  realized 
the  sad  position  he  was  in.  Unfortunately 
they  had  no  other  canoe  and  no  friendly  helper 
was  within  range  of  their  voices.  Astumastao, 
however,  like  all  Indian  girls,  could  swim  like 
a  duck ;  and  so  without  hesitancy  she  sprang 
into  the  lake  and  as  rapidly  as  possible  swam 
out   to    the   rescue   of   lier    wounded    uncle, 


I  u 


£  ' 


I 


1.^2 


OOWIKAPUN. 


who  sorely  needed  her  assistance.  The  ex- 
plosion of  the  gun  had  nearly  blown  off 
one  of  his  hands,  and  some  pieces  of  the 
barrel  had  entered  into  his  body.  The  result 
was  that  he  was  very  helpless  and  weak  from 
the  loss  of  blood. 

Astumastao  reached  him  as  soon  as  possible, 
and  finding  it  impossible  to  right  the  canoe, 
she  succeeded  in  tying  a  deerskin  thong 
around  the  wounded  wrist,  and  then  re.'-olved 
to  try  to  swim  with  him  to  the  shore.  It  was 
a  desperate  undertaking,  but  she  knew  just 
what  to  do  to  succeed,  if  it  were  possible.  The 
wounded  man  could  do  nothing  to  help  him- 
self, so  she  placed  him  so  that  he  could  put 
his  unwounded  hand  upon  her  back,  and  thus 
keep  afloat,  then  she  bravely  struck  out  for 
the  distant  shore. 

Only  those  who  have  tried  to  rescue  a  help- 
less person  in  the  water  can  have  any  correct 
idea  of  the  fearful  task  she  had  to  perform  ; 
but  buoyed  up  by  hope  and  her  naturally 
brave,  true  heart,  she  persevered,  and,  al- 
though at  times  almost  exhausted,  she  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  the  shallow  water,  out  into 


A  Mortal  Wound. 


^33 


:t 


o 


which  her  feeble  aunt  had  ventured  to  come 
to  assist  her.  As  well  as  they  could,  they 
helped  or  carried  the  almost  exhausted  man  to 
the  wigwam,  and  immediately  made  use  of 
every  means  at  their  disposal  to  stop  the 
wounds  from  which  his  life's  blood  seemed  to 
be  ebbing  away. 

The  poor  man  was  no  sooner  laid  on  his 
bed,  weak  and  exhausted,  than  he  turned  his 
eyes  toward  Astumastao  and  startled  her, 
although  he  spoke  in  a  voice  that  was  little 
above  a  whisper. 

What  he  said  was,  "  Nikumootah !  " 
("Sing!") 

Astumastao  hesitated  not  ;  but  choking 
back  her  emotions  she  began  in  sweet  and 
soothing  notes  the  song  we  have  already  heard 
her  sing  : 

"  Jesus,  my  all,  to  heaven  is  gone, 
He  whom  I  fix  my  hopes  upon ; 
His  track  I  see,  and  I'll  pursue 
The  narrow  way.  till  him  I  view." 

When  she  had  sung  two  or  three  verses  the 
sick  man  said,  "  Who  is  this  Jesus  ?  " 

Not    much   was    it   that   was    remembered 


T 


,1 


!i 


t  ; 


i«- 


134 


OOWIKAPUN. 


through  all  the  long  years  that  had  passed 
away  since  AstutTiastao  had  received  her  last 
Sabbath  school  lesson,  but  she  called  up  all 
she  could,  and  in  that  which  still  clung  to 
her  memory  was  the  matchless  verse  :  "  For 
God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only 
begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him 
should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life." 
The  sick  man  was  thri^'ed  and  startled,  and 
said,  **  Say  it  again  and  again  !  "  So  over  and 
over  again  she  repeated  it.  "  Can  you  remem- 
ber anything  more  ?  "  he  whispered. 

"  Not  much,"  she  replied,  "  only  I  remem- 
ber that  I  was  taught  that  this  Jesus,  the  Son 
of  the  Great  Spirit,  said  something  like  this: 
*  Him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in  no  wise 
cast  out.' " 

"  Did  they  say,"  said  the  dying  man,  " -hat 
that  included  the  Indian  ?  May  he,  too,  go  in 
the  white  man's  way  ?  " 

"  O  yes,"  she  answered  ;  **  I  remember  about 
that  very  well.  The  missionary  was  constantly 
telling  us  that  the  Great  Spirit  and  his  Son 
loved  everybody — Indians  as  well  as  whites — 
and  that  we  were  all  welcome  to  come  to  him. 


A  Mortal  Wound. 


135 


Indeed  it  must  be  so,  for  there  are  the  words 
I  have  learned  about  it  out  of  his  great  book : 
'  Him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast 
out. 

"  Sing  again  to  me,"  he  said.  And  so  she 
sang : 

"  Lo  !  glad  I  come  ;  and  thou,  blest  Lamb, 
Shalt  take  me  to  thee,  as  I  am  ; 
Nothing  but  sin  have  I  to  give  ; 
Nothing  but  love  shall  I  receive." 

*' What  did  you  say  his  name  was?"  said 
the  dying  man. 

**  Jesus,"  she  sobbed. 

**  Lift  up  my  head,"  he  said  to  his  weeping 
wife.  "  Take  hold  of  my  hand,  my  niece,"  he 
said.  **  It  is  getting  so  dark  I  cannot  see  the 
trail.  I  have  no  guide.  What  did  you  say 
was  his  name  ?  " 

"  Jesus,"  again  she  sobbed.  And  with  that 
name  on  his  lips  he  was  gone. 

Call  not  this  picture  overdrawn.  Hundreds 
of  these  Indians  have  long  lost  faith  in  pagan- 
ism, and  in  their  hours  of  peril,  or  in  the  pres- 
ence of  death  even,  many  of  them  who  have 
learned  but  little  about  Christianity  cling  to 


;l' 


.:■• 


Mi 
i 


n 
; 

\\  'I 


136 


OOWIKAPUN. 


those  who  have  some  knowledge  of  the  great 
salvation  and  strive  to  grope  into  the  way. 

The  two  women  were  alone  on  the  island 
with  their  dead,  and  with  no  canoe  by  which 
they  could  return  to  the  distant  mainland. 
But  Indian  women  are  quick  at  devising  plans 
to  meet  emergencies,  and  so  Astumastao 
speedily  resolved  on  a  plan  to  bring  help  to 
them.  What  she  did  was  this.  She  cut  a 
long  pole  from  w  :luiiip  of  tall,  slender  trees 
which,  grew  near  their  wigwam,  and  then 
securely  fastening  her  shawl  to  it,  she  hoisted 
it  up  as  a  signal  on  a  point  where  it  was  visible 
from  the  shore.  Soon  it  was  observed,  and 
help  came  speedily. 

There  was  a  good  deal  of  genuine  sorrow 
expressed  by  the  Indians  in  their  own  quiet 
way.  After  many  questions  had  been  asked 
and  answered,  they  wrapped  up  the  body  in 
birch  bark,  and  conveyed  it  across  to  the 
mainland,  and  there  buried  it  with  their  usual 
Indian  pagan  rites,  much  to  the  regret  of  As- 
tumastao. 

Left  alone  with  her  aunt,  who  was  quite 
feeble,  upon  Astumastao  fell  the  chief  work  of 


t 


A  Mortal  Wound. 


137 


supplying  food  for  both.  Bravely  did  she  ap- 
ply herself  to  the  task  ;  and  such  was  her  skill 
and  indus^^ry  that  a  good  degree  of  success 
crowned  her  efforts,  and  very  seldom  indeed 
was  it  that  their  wigwam  was  destitute  of 
food.  Often  had  she  some  to  spare  for  the  old 
and  feeble  ones  who,  according  to  the  heart- 
less custom  of  some  of  the  tribes,  when  they 
reach  the  time  of  life  when  they  can  neither 
snare  rabbits  nor  catch  fish,  are  either  thrown 
out  of  the  wigwams  in  the  bitter  cold,  and  left 
to  freeze  to  death,  or  they  are  deserted  in  the 
forests,  and  left  to  be  devoured  by  the  wild 
beasts. 

Astumastao,  when  a  poor  orphan  child,  had 
been  rescued  and  kindly  cared  for,  and  she 
never  forgot  those  early  days  and  kindly  deeds 
performed  for  her  happiness,  and  so  now  we 
see  her  ever  striving  to  comfort  or  help  others. 

During  the  remaining  part  of  the  summer 
which  followed  the  sad  death  of  her  uncle,  she 
succeeded  in  killing  a  number  of  reindeer, 
which  are  at  times  very  plentiful  in  those  higli 
latitudes.  Annoyed  by  the  numerous  flies, 
these   reindeer  frequently  rush  into  the  great 


t  i 


I 


138 


OOWIKA  >UN, 


lakes  and  rivers  ;  and  as  the  Indians  can  pad- 
dle their  li^ht  canoe  much  faster  than  these 
animals  can  swim,  they  easily  overtake  and 
kill  them. 

Astumastao,  with  a  couple  of  other  Indian 
i^irls,  succeeded  in  killing  quite  a  number  of 
them.  Their  plan  was  to  lash  a  sharp  knife 
to  the  end  of  a  pole,  and  then  when  they  had 
paddled  near  enough  they  stabbed  the  deer 
and  dragged  it  ashore.  All  the  deer  do  not 
give  up  without  a  struggle.  This  Astumastao 
found  to  her  cost  one  day.  She  and  a  couple 
of  young  maidens  about  her  own  age  had  hur- 
ried out  to  try  and  kill  a  famous  deer  whose 
many-pronged  antlers  told  that  he  was  one  of 
the  great  monarchs  of  the  forest.  When  they 
tried  to  get  near  enough  to  stab  him,  he  sud- 
denly attacked  the  canoe  with  such  fury  that, 
although  Astumastao  succeeded  in  mortally 
wounding  him,  yet  he  so  smashed  the  canoe 
that  it  was  rendered  useless,  and  the  girls  had 
to  spring  out  and  swim  to  the  shore,  which 
was  a  long  way  off.  However,  they  reached  it 
in  safety,  amid  the  laughter  of  the  people, 
who  had  observed   their  discomfiture.     Noth- 


A  Mortal  Wound. 


139 


ing  daunted,  however,  the  pkicky  girls  quickly 
secured  another  canoe  and  paddled  out  and 
brought  in  their  splendiu  deer. 

When  tlie  long,  cold  winter  set  in  again, 
Astuniastao  applied  herself  very  diligently  to 
the  work  of  trapping  and  snaring  rabbits  and 
some  of  the  smaller  fur-bearing  animals.  In 
her  hunting  excursions  she  followed  her  pi  s 
of  the  preceding  winters,  and  often  plunged 
farther  into  the  dense  forest  to  set  her  traps 
and  snares  beyond  those  of  any  other  woman 
hunter. 

Here,  in  the  solitude  of  nature,  she  could 
sing  to  her  heart's  content  while  deftly  weav. 
ing  her  snares  or  setting  her  traps.  On  one  of 
these  trips  she  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  black 
fox,  and  suspecting  him  to  be  the  thief  who 
had  been  robbing  her  snares  of  some  rabbits 
during  the  last  few  days,  she  resolved  if  possi- 
ble to  capture  the  valuable  animal.  His  rich 
and  costly  fur  would  buy  her  and  her  aunt 
some  valuable  blankets  and  other  things  much 
required  for  their  comfort.  Returning  quickly 
back  to  her  wigwam,  she  succeeded  in  borrow- 
ing a  fox  trap  from  a  friendly  hunter,  and  then 


i  i 


m 

nil 


140 


OOWIKAPUN. 


making  all  preparations  she  started  very  early 
the  next  morning  for  the  spot  where  she  in- 
tended to  se^  her  trap.  The  distance  was  so 
great  that  she  had  to  tramp  along  for  several 
hours  on  her  snowshoes  ere  she  reached  the 
place.  But  the  air  was  clear  and  bracing,  and 
hoping  for  success  in  her  undertaking  she  felt 
but  little  Hitigue.  Skillfully  she  set  the  trap, 
and  then  walking  backward,  and  with  a  heavy 
balsam  brush  carefully  brushing  out  her  tracks, 
she  retraced  her  steps  to  the  ordinary  trail, 
and  began  collecting  her  rabbits  and  partridges 
from  the  snares.  Although  the  fox  had  robbed 
her  of  several,  yet  she  was  more  than  or- 
dinarily successful  and  gathered  sufficient  to 
make  a  heavy  load. 

At  one  place  the  path  led  her  through  a 
dense,  gloomy  part  of  the  forest,  where  the 
great  branches  of  the  trees  seemed  to  interlock 
above  her  head,  and  shut  out  the  greater  part 
of  the  light  and  sunshine.  But  she  was  a 
brave  Indian  maiden  who  knew  no  such  thing 
as  fear,  and  so,  throwing  her  heavy  load  over 
her  shoulder,  and  supporting  it  with  the  carry- 
ing   strap   from    her    forehead,    she    cheeril)' 


A  Mortal  Wound. 


141 


moved  along,  thinking  how  happy  she  woukl 
be  if  she  captured  that  fox  to-morrow,  when 
suddenly  tlic  shriek  of  a  wild  beast  rang  in  her 
ears,  and  she  was  hurled  down  on  her  face  to 
the  ground. 


f* 


i' 

ill 

:6 


ti 


142 


OOWIKAPUN. 


CHAPTER   XI. 
The  Bescue. 

.' '  '  ' '  ""'E  left  Oowikapun  hurrying  along  on 
I  \\J  I  \villing  feet  at  the  place  in  the  forest 
;  [     where    he    had    first    observed    the 

snowshoe  tracks  of  the  hunter  of 
the  village  he  was  approaching.  Observing 
that  the  tracks  were  those  of  a  woman,  he 
could  not  help  hoping  that  they*  were  those  of 
the  fair  maiden  whom  he  had  met  near  that 
same  spot  two  winters  before.  This  hope  filled 
him  with  pleasant  anticipation,  and  so  on  and 
on  he  hurried. 

As  he  strode  along  swiftly  but  quietly,  an 
object  caught  his  attention  that  filled  him 
with  excitement  and  called  for  all  his  hunter's 
experience  and  trained  instincts.  Crouching 
down,  and  yet  hurrying  along  rapidly,  in  front 
of  him,  not  three  hundred  yards  away,  was  an 
enormous  catamount.  This  was  not  a  mere 
lynx  or  wild  cat,  but  one  of  those  great  fierce 
brutes,  more  allied  to  the  mountain  lion  of  the 


Thk  Rescue. 


M3 


t 


Rockies,  or  the  panthers,  now  about  extinct,  in 
the  western  and  northern  part  of  this  continent. 

As  Oowikapun  watched  the  graceful,  danger- 
ous brute  i^liding  along  before  him,  the 
thought  came  into  his  mind  that  perhaps  this 
was  the  very  one  whose  wild,  weird  shrieks 
had  sounded  in  his  ears  so  dolefully,  as  he 
shivered  in  the  little  wigwam  of  the  village  he 
was  now  approaching. 

Knowing  the  habits  of  these  animals,  he 
supposed  this  one,  from  its  rapid,  persistent, 
forward  movements,  and  the  absence  of  that 
alert  watchfulness  which  they  generally  possess, 
was  on  the  track  of  a  deer. 

Oowikapun  dropped  to  the  ground  and  care- 
fully looked  for  the  tracks  of  the  game  that 
this  fierce  catamount  was  pursuing,  but  to  his 
surprise  he  could  not  discover  the  footprints  of 
any  animal.  All  at  once  the  truth  flashed 
upon  him,  that  this  fierce  brute  had  got  on 
the  trail  of  the  woman,  and,  maddened  ic  may 
be  by  hunger,  was  resolved  to  attack  her.  A;? 
he  hastened  on  he  became  more  thorouglily 
convinced  of  this,  as  he  observed  how  like  a 

great    sleuthhound    it    glided    along    in    the 
10 


• 


I'; 

(1 


■y\ 


1*^ 


m 


i^ 


'44 


OoWlKAPUN. 


snovvshoc  tracks  before  tliem.  Quickly  did 
Oowikapun  prepare  for  action.  Mis  trust}' 
*^un  was  loaded  with  ball.  Mis  knife  and  ax 
were  so  fastened  in  his  belt  that  they  were 
ready  for  instant  use  if  needed.  The  strap  of 
his  sled  was  dropped  from  his  shoulders,  and 
thus  disencumbered — with  all  a  hunter's  excite- 
ment in  such  a  position  increased  by  the 
thought  that  perhaps  it  was  Astumastao  who 
was  in  such  dan^jjer — he  <;lided  along  silently, 
cautiously,  and  rapidly.  Indian  trails  are  very 
crooked,  and  so  it  was  that  he  only  now  and 
then  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  bloodthirsty 
brute;  but  when  he  did,  he  observed  it  was 
intent  on  its  one  purpose,  as  it  hardly  turned 
its  head  to  the  right  or  the  left  as  it  crouched 
or  bounded  along.  Soon,  however,  the  trail 
led  from  the  open  forest,  where  the  trees  were 
not  clustered  together  very  closely,  into  a 
dense,  gloomy  place  of  venerable  old  trees, 
whose  ijreat  limbs  stretched  and  intertwined 
with  each  other  for  quite  a  distance.  This 
was  the  same  gloomy  part  of  the  forest  into 
which  we  had  seen  Astumastao  go  as  she  was 
returning  v.  ith  her  heavy  load  of  game. 


I 


The  Rescuk. 


'45 


When  Oowikapun  reached  tlic  entrance  to 
this  part  of  the  trail,  he  was  surprised  to 
notice  the  sudden  disappearance  of  the  tracks 
of  the  catamount.  Rapidly  did  his  eye  scan 
every  spot  within  jumping  distance,  and  still 
not  a  vestige  of  a  footstep  was  visible.  How- 
ever, he  was  not  to  be  deceived,  but,  knowing 
the  habits  of  these  animals,  he  carefully  ex- 
amined the  trunks  of  the  trees  close  at  hand, 
and  on  one  of  them  lie  found  the  marks  of 
the  creature's  claws,  as  it  had  sprung  from  the 
trail  into  it.  This  discovery,  while  it  added 
to  the  excitement  of  Oowikapun,  caused  him 
to  be,  if  possible,  more  alct  and  cautious,  as 
he  rapidly  and  silently  moved  along.  These 
animals  can  climb  trees  like  squirrels,  and 
glide  along  from  branch  to  branch  with  amaz- 
ing celerity  where  tlie  trees  are  large.  They 
seem  to  prefer  to  make  their  attack  by  spring- 
ing upon  their  victims  from  a  tree  rather 
than  from  the  ground,  as  their  aim  is,  if  pos- 
sible, to  seize  them  by  the  throat.  Oowikapun 

;    added 


was    aware    o 


f    tl 


lis. 


and 


to    h 


IS 


anxiety. 


Once    or   twice    he    caught    sight     of    the 


11 


Hf 


146 


OOWIKAPUN. 


creature  as,  like  a  South  American  puma,  it 
glided  along  from  tree  to  tree.  Soon  he  saw 
it  pause  for  an  instant,  and  become  greatly 
agitated,  and  apparently  quiver  with  excite- 
ment. It  was  still  a  long  shot  from  him,  as 
he  had  only  a  smooth-bore,  flintlock  gun.  The 
temptation  to  fire  was  great,  but,  wishing  to 
be  sure  of  his  aim,  he  resolved  to  follow  on, 
and  get  so  near  that  no  second  ball  would  be 
needed.  On  again  glided  the  beast,  and  was 
soon  lost  to  view,  while  Oowikapun  followed 
as  rapidly  as  he  thought  it  was  best  in  the 
crooked  trail,  when  suddenly  he  heard  the 
u  ild  shriek  that  seemed  to  tell  of  the  triumph 
of  the  savage  beast.  As  he  dashed  on,  a 
sharp  turn  in  the  trail  showed  him  the  blood- 
thirsty brute  tearing  at  the  back  of  a  prostrate 
woman,  upon  whom  he  had  sprung  from  the 
tree,  thus  dashing  her  to  the  ground. 

With  all  an  Indian's  coolness  and  presence 
of  mind,  Oowikapun  knew  that,  while  iie 
must  act  quick!)',  he  must  also  guard  against 
accidently  injuring  the  woman,  and  so,  raising 
his  gun  in  position,  he  shouted  the  Indian 
word  for  "keep  still,"  and  as  the  fierce  brute 


i  .t 


■r:::^'! 


:e 

ic 

:e 

g 
In 

0 


Head  of  the  Catamount, 


■ 


Thk    RtSCUE. 


149 


raised  his  head  at  the  unexpected  sound,  the 
bullet  went  crashing  through  his  brain,  and  he 
fell  dead  as  a  stone. 

To  rush  forward  and  find  out  who  the 
woman  was  he  had  rescued,  and  the  extent  of 
her  wounds,  was  but  the  work  of  an  instant. 
And  that  instant  was  all  the  woman  required 
to  spring  up  and  see  who  it  was  that  she  had 
to  thank  for  her  sudden  deliverance  from 
such  a  terrible  death. 

Thus  face  to  face  the\'  met  ajjain — Oowika- 
pun  and  Astumastao.  Reaching  out  her 
hand,  while  her  bright  ejes  spoke  more  elo- 
quently than  her  words,  she  said,  "  I  am  very 
thankful  for  your  coming  and  for  my  speedy 
rescue ;  and  not  less  so,"  she  added,  **  when  I 
see  it  has  been  by  Oowikapun." 

"  Oowikapun  is  glad  to  be  of  any  service  to 
Astumastao,"  he  said,  as  he  took  the  proffered 
hand  and  held  it,  while  he  added,  "  lUit  you 
are  not  badly  wounded  ?  " 

"  Only  in  my  arm  do  I  feel  hurt,"  she  replied. 

On  inspection  it  was  found  that  the  wounds 
there  were  made  by  the  claws  and  not  by  the 
teeth,  ^nd  so  did  not  appear  serious. 


i\ 


i 


>■'' 


JTf 


(I 


'50 


OOWIKAI'I  N. 


As  these  very  practical  )'oiin<^  peuple  dis- 
cussed the  attack  and  escape,  it  was  unani- 
inously  agreed  th.it  it  was  fortunate  for  As- 
tuniastao  tliat  she  liad  tlie  lieavy  load  of 
rabbits  on  her  back  and  several  brace  of  par- 
tridges about  her  neck.  So  when  the  brute 
sprang  upon  her,  with  the  exception  of  wound- 
ing her  arm,  he  liad  only  plunged  Ids  teeth 
and  claws  into  the  game. 

We  need  not  here  go  into  tlie  particulars  of 
all  the  beautiful  things  which  were  said  by 
these  two  interesting  young  people.  Human 
nature  is  about  the  same  the  world  over.  This 
is  not  a  romantic  love  story,  even  if  it  turns 
out  to  be  a  lovely  story.  .Suffice  it  here  to 
say  that  at  first  a  fire  was  kindled  and  the 
wounded  arm  was  dressed  and  bandaged. 
Some  balsam  from  the  trees  was  easily 
obtained  by  Oowikapun  for  the  purpose,  and 
a  warm  wrapping  of  rabbit  skins  taken  from 
the  newly  caught  animals  sufficed  to  keep  the 
cold  from  the  wounds.  These  prompt  and 
thorough  Indian  methods  for  curing  wounds 
were  most  successful,  and  in  a  few  days  they 
were  completely  healed.      When  tlie  dressing 


Thk  Rkscuk. 


i5» 


lie 
Us 


of  the  ami  was  attended  to,  Oovvikapun  returned 
for  his  sled,  wliich  he  had  left  at  the  spot  where 
lie  first  caught  sight  of  the  catamount,  while 
Astumastao  busied  herself  with  cooking  some 
of  the  game  which  she  had  caught,  and  which 
she  had  about  ready  when  he  returned. 

Perhaps  some  of  my  fastidious  readers 
would  not  have  cared  much  for  a  simi)le  meal 
thus  prepared,  and  eaten  without  the  use  of 
plates  or  forks ;  but  there  are  others  who 
have  dined  in  this  way,  and  the  remembrance 
of  such  meals,  with  the  glorious  appetite  of 
forest  or  mountain  air,  is  to  them  a  delicious 
memory.  This  one  at  any  rate  was  \ery  much 
enjoyed  by  these  }'oung  people.  When  it  was 
over  Oowikapun  quickly  skinned  the  cata- 
mount, and,  leaving  the  head  attached  to  the 
skin,  he  placed  it  on  his  sled  that  it  might  be 
shown  to  the  villagers  when  they  arrived. 
The  body  he  left  behind  as  worthless,  as  it  is 
never  eaten  by  the  Indians,  although  they  are 
fond  of  the  wild  cat,  and  some  other  carnivo- 
rous animals.  Astumastao's  load  of  game  was 
also  placed  upon  his  sled,  and  then  together 
they  resumed  their  journey  to  the  village. 


152 


OOWIKAPUN. 


Great  was  the  excitement  among  the 
people  when  the  story  became  known,  and  in 
their  Indian  way  they  at  once  promoted 
Oowikapun  to  the  ranks  of  the  great 
"  braves."  He  was  considered  quite  a  hero 
and  made  welcome  in  all  of  the  wigwams  he 
chose  to  visit.  The  aunt  of  Astumastao  wel- 
comed him  most  cordially,  and,  kissing  him 
again  and  again,  called  him  her  son,  while  she 
thanked  him  most  gratefully  for  his  noble 
deed.  Gladly  accepting  her  invitation,  he  re- 
peated his  visits  to  her  wigwam  as  often  as 
Indian  etiquette  would  sanction. 

One  day,  when  only  the  three  were  present, 
Oowikapun,  who  had  heard  from  some  of  the 
people  of  the  heroic  way  in  which  Astumastao 
had  rescued  her  Uncle  Kistayimoowin  from  a 
watery  grave,  asked  her  to  tell  him  the  story. 

As  a  general  thing  among  the  Indians,  but 
little  reference  is  made  to  the  dead.  The 
whole  thing  to  them,  without  any  light  to  il- 
lumine the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  is  so 
dreadful  that  they  do  not  mention  the  word 
death.  When  obliged  to  speak  of  those  who 
have  gone  they  say,  "  Non-pimatissit,"  which 


I  i 


m 


i  k 


} 


{ 


Thl  Rkscue. 


^53 


means,  "  He  is  not  amon*^  the  living."  How- 
ever, Astumastao  and  licr  aunt  had  none  of 
these  foolish  notions,  especially  as,  since  the 
.>ad  event,  the  aunt  had  eagerly  drunk  in  all 
the  information  she  could  get  from  her  niece, 
who  now  had  none  in  the  wigwam  to  crush 
her  song  or  quiet  her  speech. 

As  Astumastao  had  a  double  object  in 
view,  she  willingly,  at  the  request  of  her 
aunt,  described  the  scene  as  we  have  already 
done.  She  dwelt  fully  upon  Kistayimoowin 
calling  for  her  to  sing,  and  his  longing  to 
learn  all  he  could  about  the  name  of  Jesus. 
The  recital  produced  a  deep  impression  upon 
Oowikapun,  and  brought  up  all  the  memories 
of  his  own  darkness  and  mental  disquietude, 
while,  month  after  month,  he  had  been  grop- 
ing along  in  his  vain  attempts  to  find  soul- 
happiness. 

During  this  interview  she  told  him  how  she 
and  her  aunt  had  tried  ever  since  her  uncle's 
death  to  live  in  the  way  of  the  book  of 
heaven  ;  but  that  they  knew  so  little,  and 
there  were  so  many  mysteries  and  perplexities 
all   around   them,  that    they    were    at    times 


i 


n'' 


154 


(^OWIKAPUN. 


fc» 


much  discouraged.  Yet  there  was  one  thin 
that  they  had  resolved  upon,  and  that  was 
never  to  go  back  to  tlie  old  pagan  religion  of 
their  forefathers,  for  they  were  happier  in 
their  minds  now,  with  the  glimmering  light  of 
the  white  man's  way,  than  ever  they  had  been 
in  their  lives  before. 

Oowikapun  listened  and  was  encouraged. 
He  told  them  fully  of  his  own  troubles,  foi  he 
felt  he  had  for  the  first  lime  sympathetic 
listeners.  When  he  described  his  various 
methods  to  get  peace  and  quiet  from  his  fears 
and  anxieties,  and  referred  to  the  ceremony  of 
torture  through  which  he  had  gone,  Astumas- 
tao's  eyes  seemed  to  flash  at  first  with  indig- 
nation, and  then  to  fill  up  with  tears.  Strong 
words  seemed  about  to  come  from  her  lips, 
but  with  an  effort  she  controlled  herself,  and 
remained  quiet. 

Very  frequently  did  Oowikapun  find  his 
way  to  the  wigwam  where  dwelt  these  two 
women,  and  doubtless  many  were  the  things 
about  which  they  talked. 

For  a  time  he  visited  the  snares  and  traps 
and    brought    in  the  game.     One  da}'   he  re- 


Thi.   Rkscuk. 


155 


turned  with  the  splendid  bhick  fox  which  As- 
tumastao  had  tried  so  hard  to  capture.  For 
this  tlicy  gratefully  thanked  him,  as  well  as 
for  the  great,  tawny  skin  of  the  catamount, 
which  he  had  carefully  prepared  as  a  splendid 
rug,  and  spread  out  for  them  in  their  wig- 
wam. 

The  wounde^;!  arm  was  now  completely 
healed,  and  the  business  which  Oowikapun 
had  used  as  his  excuse  for  coming  to  tlie 
village  was  long  ago  arranged,  still  he  lingered. 


'56 


(V)WIKAPLN. 


CHAPTHR  XII. 


A  Nob]e  Ambition. 


T 


()  the  villagers  the  cause  was  evident, 
but  why  there  should  be  any  trouble 
or  delay  in  his  courtship  they 
could  not  inakc  out.  Of  course  he 
would  take  Astumastr.o's  aunt  to  live  with 
them,  and  therefore  there  was  no  price  to  pay 
for  the  maiden.  So  quickly  and  promptly  do 
tliey  ^renerally  attend  to  these  things,  that, 
when  matters  have  gone  between  their  young 
folks  as  they  evidently  imagined  they  had  be- 
tween these  two,  a  decision  one  way  or 
another  is  quickly  reached. 

These  simple  people  do  not  believe  in  long 
courtships.  So  they  began  to  wonder  and 
conjecture  why  this  matter  was  not  settled  be- 
tween them.  They  were  nearly  all  favorably 
inclined  toward  Oowikapun,  and  were  pleased 
at  the  prospect  of  his  marrying  a  maiden  of 
their  village.  Even  some  of  the  young  men 
who  had  hoped  to  have  won   her,  when  they 


lo 


\rr 


or 


I 

f 


I 


I 


A  NoBLK  Ambition. 


•59 


heard  the  story  of  her  wonderful  deliverance 
by  this  fine  younj^  hunter  of  another  village, 
and  observed  how  evident  it  was  that  he  had 
set  his  heart  upon  her,  retired  from  the  field, 
saying  that  (Jowikapun's  claims  to  her  were 
greater  than  theirs,  and  that  for  themselves 
they  must  look  elsewhere. 

But  strange  to  say,  while  Astumastao's  eyes 
brightened  when  Oowikapun  entered  the  wig- 
wam, and  her  welcome  was  always  kindly,  yet 
she  skillfully  changed  the  conversation  when  it 
seemed  to  be  leading  toward  the  tender  senti- 
ment, and  parried  with  seeming  unconscious- 
ness all  reference  to  marriage.  And  being,  as 
women  are,  more  skillful  and  quick-witted  than 
men,  she,  for  some  reason  or  other,  would 
never  let  him  sec  that  she  appeared  to  think 
of  him  as  a  suitor  for  her  hand  and  heart,  and 
by  her  tact,  for  some  reason  unaccountable  to 
him,  kept  him  from  saying  what  was  in  his 
heart.  And  yet  she  was  no  mere  coquette  or 
heartless  flirt.  In  her  great,  loving  heart  was 
a  purpose  noble  and  firm,  and  a  resolve  so 
high  that,  for  the  present  at  least,  all  other 
sentiments  and  feelings  must  hold  a  subordi- 


i. ;. 


W; 


i  I 


^>h 


i6o 


OOWIKAPUN. 


nate  place.  And  so,  while  fhe  did  not  repel 
him,  or  offend  his  sensitive  spirit,  she,  in  some 
way  which  he  could  not  exactly  define,  made 
him  feel  that  he  must  defer  the  thing  to  him 
so  important,  and  talk  on  other  subjects. 
There  was  one  theme  on  which  she  was  always 
eager  to  talk  and  to  get  him  to  talk,  and  to 
her  it  never  grew  stale  or  threadbare.  It  was 
about  what  he  ^nd  she  had  learned  or  could 
remember  of  the  book  of  heaven,  and  the  good 
white  man's  way. 

She  sang  her  hymns  to  him,  and  called  up 
all  the  memories  possible  of  that  happy  year 
in  childhood  which  she  had  spent  in  the  home 
of  the  missionary.  She  made  him  tell  her  over 
and  over  again  all  he  could  remember  of  Me- 
motas  and  Meyooachimoowin,  and  as  well  as 
she  could,  in  her  quiet  way,  let  him  see  how 
solicitous  she  was  that  he  should  try  to  find 
out  how  to  get  into  this  way,  which  she  said, 
she  was  sure  was  the  right  way  and  the  one  in 
which  he  could  find  that  soul  comfort  for 
which  he  had  been  so  long  seeking. 

Oowikapun  was  thankful  for  all  this  kindness, 
and  was  very  happy  in  her  presence,  but  was 


A  Noble  Ambition. 


i6i 


ow 

nd 

id, 

in 

for 

las 


all  the  time  getting  more  deeply  in  love  with 
her,  and  while  anxious  to  learn  all  he  could 
from  her,  had  come  to  the  sage  conclusion  that 
if  she  would  only  marry  him  he  could  learn  so 
much  the  faster. 

It  is  said  "  that  all  things  come  to  him  who 
waits,"  and  so  the  opportunity  which  our  In- 
dian friend  had  so  long  desired  came  to  him. 
Astumastao  had  been  telling  him  one  day 
when  they  were  alone  of  the  persecutions  and 
oppositions  she  had  met  with  from  her  uncle 
Koosupatum,  the  conjurer,  and  from  others, 
and  then  stated  how  hard  it  was  for  her  alone 
to  remember  about  the  good  Hook,  and  live  up 
to  its  lessons.  Then  she  added,  if  there  had 
only  been  some  one  among  the  people  who 
knew  more  than  she  did  to  stand  firm  with 
her,  they  might  have  helped  each  other  along 
and  been  so  firm  and  brave. 

When  she  had  finished  Oowikapun  saw  his 
opportunity,  and  was  quick  enough  in  availing 
him.self  of  it.  He  replied  by  deeply  sym- 
pathizing with  her,  and  then,  referring  to  his 
own  difficulties  ind  failures  in  the  past,  stated 
how  fearful  he  was  of  the  future,  unless  he  had 


f 


r~rf  ^ 


h   i 


162 


OOWIKAPUN. 


f 


1^ 


i     '.I 


'h 


some  true,  brave  friend  to  help  him  along, 
Then,  suddenly  facing  her,  in  strong  and  lov- 
ing words  he  begged  and  urged  her  to  be  his 
teacher  and  helper,  his  counselor,  his  wife. 

So  quickly  had  the  conversation  changed, 
and  so  suddenly  had  come  this  declaration, 
that  Astumastao  was  thrown  off  her  guard  and 
more  deeply  agitated  than  we  have  ever  seen 
her  before.  However,  she  soon  regained  her 
composure,  and  replied  to  him — not  unkindly, 
but  candidly  and  unmistakably — that  she  was 
very  sorry  he  had  made  such  a  request,  as  she 
had  set  her  heart  upon  the  accomplishment  of 
some  work  which  perhaps  would  make  it  im- 
possible for  her  to  think  of  marriage  for  years 
to  come. 

Vainly  he  urged  his  suit,  but  most  firmly 
she  resisted  ;  and  with  only  the  satisfaction  of 
getting  from  her  the  information  that  at  some 
future  interview  she  would  tell  him  of  the 
great  object  she  had  set  her  hcait  upon,  he 
had  to  leave  the  wigwam,  feeling  that  his 
chances  of  winning  Astumastao  were  not  quite 
so  bright  as  he  had  vainly  imagined. 

Oowikapun,  as  we  may  well   suppose,   was 


^'1 


•m 


of 
no 
he 
he 
lis 
itc 

as 


A  NoBLK  Ambition. 


163 


very  anxious  to  know  the  reasons  which  liad 
so  strong  a  hold  upon  Astumastao  as  to  cause 
her  thus  to  act ;  and,  so  soon  as  Indian  eti- 
quette would  allow  another  visit  to  her  wig- 
wam, he  was  not  absent. 

When  some  Indian  maidens,  who  had  been 
learning  from  Astumastao  some  new  designs 
in  beadwork,  at  which  she  was  very  skillful,  had 
retired,  and  the  two  young  people  and  the 
aunt  were  now  left  alone,  she,  in  her  clear, 
straightforward  manner,  told  what  was  upper- 
most in  her  heart.  It  was  of  a  purpose  which 
had  been  growing  there  for  years,  but  which 
she  had  only  seen  the  possibility  of  carrying 
out  since  her  uncle's  death.  She  said  she  be- 
lieved they  ought  to  have  a  missionary  to 
teach  them  the  truths  in  the  book  of  heaven. 
Pe-pc-qua-napuay,  the  new  chief,  was  not  un- 
friendly, as  he  had  himself  declared  that  he 
had  lost  faith  in  the  old  pagan  way ;  and 
Koosapatum,  the  conjurer,  had  lost  his  power 
over  the  young  men,  who  now  feared  not  his 
threats;  and  at  Tapastanum,  the  old  medicine 
man,  they  even  laughed  when  he  threatened 
them.     So  she  had  resolved  to  go  all  the  way 

n 


!!    I 


I 


164 


OOWIKAPUN. 


to  Norway  House,  to  plead  with  the  mission- 
ary there  to  send  away  to  the  land  of  mission- 
aries, and  get  me  to  come  and  live  among 
them  and  be  their  teacher  of  this  right  way,  as 
described  in  the  book  of  heaven.  She  knew  it 
was  far  away,  and  her  hands  and  arms  would 
often  get  weary  with  paddling  many  days,  and 
her  feet  would  get  sore,  and  perhaps  the  moc- 
casins would  wear  out  in  the  portages  where 
the  stones  were  sharp  and  the  rocks  many. 
But  they  had  talked  it  all  over,  an  J  they  had 
resolved  to  go.  Two  women  were  to  go  with 
her.  One,  who  was  a  widow,  was  to  be  the 
guide.  She  had  gone  over  the  way  years  ago, 
with  her  husband,  and  thought  that  she  could 
remember  the  trail.  The  other  was  a  young 
woman,  the  companion  of  Astumastao,  who 
from  being  so  much  with  her  had  learned 
what  she  knew,  and  so  longed  for  more  instruc- 
tion that  she  was  willing  to  go  on  the  long 
journey,  hard  and  dangerous  though  it  was. 
These  two  women,  she  said,  were  anxious  to 
go  with  her.  They  were  sick  of  the  way  they 
were  living,  and  longed  for  the  better  life  and 
a  knowledge  of  what  was  beyond, 


A  Noble  Ambition. 


165 


ruc- 
)ng 
'as. 
to 
ley 
Ind 


They  had  been  making  their  preparations 
for  a  long  time,  she  said.  A  friendly  family 
would  keep  the  aunt  in  her  absence  and  look 
after  her  little  wigwam.  They  had  been  mak- 
ing beadwork  and  some  other  things  to  sell  at 
Norway  House,  so  that  they  would  not  be 
dependent  upon  the  friends  there  while  they 
pleaded  for  a  missionary. 

Thus  talked  this  noble  girl,  and,  as  she  went 
on  and  described  the  blessing  that  would 
come  to  her  people  if  she  should  succeed,  she 
became  so  fired  with  this  noble  resolve  which 
had  taken  such  complete  possession  of  her 
that  poor  Oowikapun,  while  more  and  more  in 
love  with  her,  felt  himself,  while  under  the 
witchery  of  her  impassioned  words,  verily 
guilty  in  having  dared  to  make  a  proposal  of 
marriage  which  would  in  any  way  thwart  a 
purpose  so  noble,  and  which  might  be  followed 
by  such  blessed  results. 

And  yet,  when  alone  and  in  cool  blood, 
Oowikapun  pondered  over  the  nature  of  the 
task  she  had  decided  to  undertake,  and 
thought  of  the  perils  and  difficulties  in  the 
way  to  which  she  and  her  companions  would 


f    ! 


h 


11 


I 

I 


i66 


OOWIKAPUN. 


be  exposed,  he  resolved  to  try  to  persuade  her 
;o  abandon  the  perilous  undertaking. 

Patiently  she  listened  to  all  he  had  to  say, 
but  she  would  not  be  persuaded  to  abandon 
this,  on  which  her  heart  was  so  set.  Seeing 
this,  he  tried  to  arrange  some  conipromise  or 
some  other  plan.  First  he  asked  her  to  marry 
him,  and  let  him  go  along  in  place  of  the 
young  Indian  maiden,  companion  of  Astu- 
mastao.  This  plan,  which  seemed  so  agree- 
able to  Oowikapun,  she  quickly  dismissed, 
saying  that  she  did  not  intend  to  be  married 
until  she  could  be  married  in  the  beautiful 
Christian  way  she  remembered  having  seen 
when  a  child,  and  by  a  Christian  missionary. 

Failing  in  this  scheme,  Oowikapun  suggested 
that  he  should  select  some  strong  young 
fellow,  and  that  together  they  should  set  off  as 
soon  as  the  ice  disappeared  from  the  rivers, 
and  present  her  request. 

To  this  Astumastao  replied,  and  there  was 
a  little  tinge  of  banter,  if  not  of  sarcasm,  as 
well  as  a  good  deal  of  seriousness  in  her  voice  : 
"And  suppose,  in  one  of  the  Indian  villages 
through  which  you  might  pass,  a  sun  or  ghost 


A  NoFH.E  Amrition. 


167 


as 

rs, 

IS 
IS 

•     • 

ts 

t 


dance,  or  even  the  ceremony  of  the  devil 
worship  or  dog  feast  might  be  going  on,  who 
knows  but  you  might  be  persuaded  to  jump 
into  the  magic  circle  and  dance  yourself  sense- 
less? Or  if  you  did  not  succeed,  might  you 
not  in  your  discouragement  go  off  again  to  the 
tortures  and  miseries  of  hock-c-a-yiim  /  " 

These  words  made  him  w  ince,  but  he  could 
only  feel  that  they  were  true,  and  that  he  de- 
served them  all ;  and  he  felt  that,  until  he  did 
something  to  redeem  himself  in  the  eyes  of 
this  brave,  true  woman,  he  was  only  worthy  of 
her  reproofs. 

Seeing  that  her  words  had  so  hurt  him,  this 
generous-hearted  girl,  who,  while  grieved  at 
the  failures  he  had  made,  could  also  appreci- 
ate his  noble  qualities  and  sympathize  with 
him  in  his  struggles  for  the  light,  quickly 
turned  the  conversation,  and  then,  as  though 
making  a  confidant  of  him,  told  him  of  all  the 
plans  of  their  contemplated  journey,  which 
was  to  begin  just  as  soon  as  the  spring 
opened,  as  they  supposed  it  would  take  them 
all  the  season  of  open  water  in  their  lakes  and 
rivers   to   go   and   return.     Then   she  added : 


S 


i 


' 


i68 


OOWIKAPUN. 


t 


"  And  shall  I  not  be  happy  when  again  I  see 
the  spire  of  that  house  of  prayer  at  Norway 
House  ?  And  if  I  can  only  succeed  in  get- 
ting the  promise  of  a  missionary  to  come  and 
dwell  among  our  people  I  shall  forget  all  the 
dangers  and  hardship  of  the  trip." 

One  day,  v  ^'le  ^  nvikapun  was  pondering 
over  the  word.  S  ;^~  'imastao,  and  thinking  of 
the  risks  she  ant.  icr  ^  ^panions  were  about 
to  run,  and  the  dangers  they  would  have  to 
encounter  in  their  great  undertaking,  and  con- 
trasting it  with  the  listless,  aimless  life  he  had 
lately  been  leading,  suddenly  there  came  to 
him,  as  a  revelation,  a  noble  resolve  which  took 
such  possession  of  him  and  so  inspired  him 
that  he  appeared  and  acted  like  another  man. 

To  carry  it  out  was  quickly  decided  upon, 
and  so,  letting  no  one  know  of  his  purpose, 
he  very  early,  one  crisp,  wintry  morning,  tied 
his  little  traveling  outfit,  with  his  ax  and  gun, 
upon  his  sled,  and,  without  saying  "  Good- 
bye "  to  anyone,  even  to  Astumastao,  secretly 
left  the  village. 

There  were  many  surmises  among  the  people 
when  it  was  known  that  he  was  gone.     Many 


^ll 


A  Noble  Ambition. 


169 


conjectures  were  made,  and  uhcn  some  hunters 
returned  along  the  trail  which  led  to  his  own 
village,  and  reported  that  the  tracks  of  his  sled 
and  snowshoes  were  not  seen  in  that  direction, 
they  were  all  the  more  surprised  ;  and  it  was  a 
long  time  ere  they  had  any  hint  of  where  he 
had  gone  or  the  cause  which  had  taken  him 
away. 


170 


OOWIKAI'UN. 


t- 


CHAPTKR  XIII. 
The  Sudden  Disappearance. 


•iiaii*n«ii«i>aii 


I 

i  lank-Biisiiaii 


111*1  mysterious  disappearance  of 
T^  I  Oowikapun  from  the  village  of  his 
friends  caused  a  good  deal  of  excite- 
ment and  innocent  gossip.  That  he 
was  deeply  in  love  with  Astumastao  was  evi- 
dent to  all,  and  while  she  did  not  allow  even 
her  most  intimate  friends  to  hear  her  say  that 
she  intended  to  marry  him,  yet  her  conduct 
very  plainly  indicated  that  he  stood  higher  than 
anyone  else  in  her  esteem.  That  she  had  posi- 
tively rejected  him  none  of  them  could  believe. 
Why  then  had  he  thus  shown  the  white  feather, 
and  so  ignominiously  and  so  suddenly  left  the 
field  when  it  seemed  so  evident  that  a  little 
more  perseverance  would  have  surely  resulted 
in  his  success.  In  this  way  the  young  men 
and  maidens  of  the  village  talked,  while  the 
old  men  gravely  smoked  the  calumets  and 
mourned  that  the  times  were  so  changed  that 
a  young  brave  should  have  so  much  trouble  in 
capturing  a  squaw. 


THK    SL'DDKN     DlSAFPIARANCK.  17I 

When  i\stuma.stao  was  informed  of  tlie  sud- 
den  disappearance  of  Oowikapun  she  was 
troubled  and  perplexed.  Not  the  slif^jhtest 
hint  had  he  ^iven  her  of  his  intended  move- 
ments when,  like  a  flash,  there  had  come  to 
him  the  great  resolve  to  be  the  one  who  should 
go  on  the  long  journey  to  find  the  missionary. 
She  was  a  maiden,  not  beautiful,  but  she  was  a 
comely  Indian  girl,  attractive  and  clever  in  her 
way,  and  she  well  knew  that  many  a  young 
hunter  had  sat  down  beside  her  wigwam  door 
or  had  dropped  the  shining,  white  pebble  before 
her  in  the  path,  thus  plainly  intimating  his 
desire  to  win  her  notice  and  esteem.  But  to 
all  of  them  she  had  turned  a  deaf  car,  and  had 
treated  them,  without  exception,  with  perfect 
indifference.  As  shy  and  timid  as  a  youn^ 
fawn  of  the  forest,  she  had  lived  under  the 
watchful  and  somewhat  jealous  care  of  her 
uncle  and  aunt,  until  Oowikapun  had  appeared 
in  the  village. 

His  coming,  however,  and  his  reference  to 
Memotas  had  strangely  broken  the  quiet 
monotony  of  years.  Then  what  she  had  done 
for  him  in  the  \  igwam,  their  conversation  in 


r 


172 


UoWlKAl'UN. 


I! 


the  trail,  and  rbovc  all,  his  gallant  rescue  of 
her  from  the  terrible  catamount,  had  aroused 
new  emotions  within  her  and  opened  up  her 
mind  to  a  wider  vision,  until  now  she  saw  that 
she  was  no  longer  the  young  free  Indian  girl 
with  no  thoughts  but  those  of  her  childhood, 
but  a  woman  who  must  now  act  and  decide  for 
herself.  But  with  the  characteristic  reserve  of 
her  people  she  kept  all  the  newborn  emotions 
and  aspirations  hid  in  her  heart. 

The  power  to  control  the  feelings  and 
passions  among  the  Indians  is  not  confined  to 
the  sterner  sex.  Schooled  in  a  life  of  hard- 
ship, the  women  as  well  as  the  men  can  put  on 
the  mask  of  apparent  indifference,  while  at  the 
same  time  the  heart  is  racked  by  intensest 
feeling,  or  the  body  is  suffering  most  horrid  tor- 
ture. Death  in  its  most  dreadful  form  may 
be  staring  them  in  the  face,  and  yet  the  out- 
sider may  look  in  vain  for  the  blanching 
of  the  cheek,  or  the  quivering  of  a  muscle. 
Very  early  in  life  does  this  stern  education 
begin. 

"That   is  my  best  child,"   said  an    Indian 
father,  as  he  pointed  out  an  apparently  happy 


I      ; 


Thf,  SrnDEN  Disatim  akanck. 


»73 


little    jjirl    jsovcn  or    ciglit    years   old,   in    his 
wigwam. 

"  Why  should  she  be  your  favorite  child  ?  " 
was  asked  him. 

•'  Why?  Because  she,  of  all  my  children,  will 
go  the  longest  without  food,  without  crying," 
was  his  answer. 

To  suffer,  but  to  show  no  sign,  is  the  proverb 
of  the  true  Indian.  And  yet  Astumastao 
would  not  admit  even  to  herself  that  she  was 
deeply  in  love  with  Oowikapun.  She  had 
treasured  the  fond  conceit  in  her  heart  that 
the  one  all-absorbing  passion  with  her  was  that 
which  she  had  freely  revealed  to  him,  and  she 
in  her  simplicity  had  honestly  believed  that  no 
other  love  could  take  its  place,  or  even  share 
the  room  in  her  heart. 

But  here  was  a  rude  awakening.  She  was  a 
mystery  to  herself.  Why  these  sighs  and  tears 
when  she  was  alone  and  unwatched  by  her 
bright-eyed,  alert  young  associates  ?  Why  did 
the  image  of  this  one  young  Indian  hunter  in- 
trude itself  so  persistently  before  her  in  her  wak- 
ing hours  ?  It  is  true  le  came  not  frequently 
to  her  in  her  dreams,  for  we  dream  but  little 


r-jfT' 


174 


OOWIKAI'UN. 


n 


of  those  \vc  love  tlie  most,  and  who  are  in  our 
memories  and  on  our  licarts  continually  dur- 
ing the  waking  hours  of  active  life. 

Untaught  in  the  schools  and  free  from  all 
the  guiles  of  heartless  coquetry,  an  orphan  girl 
in  an  Indian  village,  with  neither  prudery  on 
the  one  hand,  nor  hothouse  teachings  on  the 
other,  which  turn  the  heads  of  so  many  girls, 
Astumastao  was  to  herself  a  riddle  which  she 
could  not  solve — a  problem  the  most  difficult 
of  any  she  had  tried  to  understand. 

I  ler  maidenly  modesty  seemed  first  to  tell  her 
to  banish  his  image  from  her  heart,  and  his  name 
from  her  lips.  To  accomplish  this  she  threw 
herself  with  renewed  diligence  into  the  duties 
incident  to  her  simple  yet  laborious  life,  and 
by  her  very  activities  endeavored  to  bring  her- 
self back  to  the  sweet  simplicities  of  her  earlier 
days.  But  fruitless  were  all  her  efforts.  The 
heart  transfixed,  was  too  strong  for  her  head, 
and  the  new  love  which  had  so  unconsciously 
come  to  her  would  not  be  stilled  or  banished. 

A  true  daughter  of  Eve  was  this  forest 
maiden,  even  if  she  did  live  in  a  wigwam,  and 
had  never  read  a  novel  or  a  romance,  and  be- 


Tut.  Sudden  Disappiarance. 


175 


cause  she  had  these  feelings  and  was  passing 
through  these  hours  of  disquietude  and  con- 
flicting 'motions  we  think  none  the  less  of 
her.  Our  only  regret  is  that  she  had  no  wise, 
judicious  friend  of  her  own  sex  to  whom  in  her 
perplexity  she  could  have  gone  for  wise  and 
prudent  counsel.  Happy  are  those  daughters 
in  civilized  lands  who  have  their  precious 
mothers  or  other  safe  counselors  to  whom  thev 
can  go  in  these  critical  hours  of  their  history, 
when  their  future  weal  or  woe  may  turn 
upon  the  decisions  then  made.  And  happy 
are  those  fair  maidens  who,  instead  of  impul- 
sively and  recklessly  rejecting  all  counsel  and 
warning  from  their  truest  friends,  listen  to  the 
voice  of  experience  and  parental  love,  and 
above  all,  seek  aid  from  the  infinitely  loving 
One  who  has  said :  '*  If  any  of  you  lack  wisdom, 
let  him  ask  of  God,  that  giveth  to  all  men  lib- 
erally, and  upbraideth  not ;  and  it  shall  be  given 
him." 

Astumastao  unfortunately  had  no  one  to 
whom  she  could  go  in  her  perplexity.  Her 
feeble  aunt  had  been  a  purchased  wife,  bought 
in  the  long  ago  by  her  husband  whom  she  had 


176 


OOWIKAPUN. 


never  seen  until  the  day  when  he  had  come 
from  a  distant  village,  and  being  impressed 
with  her  appearance,  for  she  was  then  a  fine- 
looking  young  woman,  had  quickly  spread  out 
at  her  father's  feet  all  the  gifts  he  demanded 
for  her.  His  first  words  to  her  were  to  inform 
her  that  she  was  his  wife,  and  that  very 
shortly  they  would  set  out  for  his  distant 
home.  Crushed  out  of  her  heart  were  some 
feelings  of  affection  for  a  handsome  young 
hunter  who  had  several  times  met  her  on  the 
trail,  as  she  was  accustomed  to  go  to  the 
bubbling  spring  in  the  shady  dell  for  water  for 
her  father's  wigwam.  Few  indeed  had  been 
his  words,  but  his  looks  had  been  bright  and 
full  of  meaning,  and  he  had  let  her  know  that 
he  was  gathering  up  the  gifts  that  would  pur- 
chase her  from  her  stern,  avaricious  father.  But, 
alas !  her  dreams  and  hopes  had  been  blasted, 
and  her  heart  crushed  by  this  old  pagan  cus- 
tom, and  so  for  long  years  she  had  lived  the 
dreary,  monotonous  life  to  which  we  have  re- 
ferred. Such  a  woman  could  give  no  advice 
that  would  be  of  much  service  to  such  an 
alert,  thoughtful  girl  as  Astumastao,  and   so, 


m 
'if- 


The  Suddkn  Disappkarance. 


177 


e 
In 


unaided  and  undisciplined,  she  let  her  thoughts 
drift  and  her  heart  become  the  seat  of  emo- 
tions and  feelings  most  diverse.  Sometimes 
she  bitterly  upbraided  herself  for  her  coldness 
and  indifference  to  Oowikapun  as  she  thought 
of  his  many  noble  qualities.  Then  again  she 
would  marshal  before  her  his  weaknesses  and 
defects,  and  would  vainly  try  to  persuade  her- 
self to  believe  that  the  man  who  had  been  in 
the  tent  of  Memotas  and  had  heard  him  pray, 
and  had  then  irone  into  the  devil  dance  and 
had  voluntarily  suffered  the  tortures  of  Jiock- 
e-a-ynui,  was  unworthy  of  her  notice.  Then 
suddenly,  as  the  memory  of  what  he  must  have 
suffered  in  those  terrible  ordeals  came  before 
her,  her  blight  eyes  would  fill  with  tears,  and 
she  found  herself  impulsively  longing  for  the 
opportunity  to  drive  the  recollection  of  such 
suffering  from  her  mind  and  heart,  and  to  be 
the  one  to  save  him  from  their  repetition. 
Amid  these  conflicting  emotions  there  was 
one  thought  that  kept  coming  up  in  her  mind 
and  giving  her  much  trouble,  and  that  was, 
"Why  had  he  left  so  abruptly?  Why  did  he 
not  at  least  come  and  say  *  Good-bye  ? '  or  why 


178 


OOWIKAPUN. 


had  he  not  left  at  least  some  Httlc  message  for 
her  ?  " 

Over  these  queries  she  pondered,  and  they 
were  more  than  once  thrown  at  her  by  the 
young  Indian  maidens,  as  with  them  she  was 
skillfully  decorating  with  beads  some  snow- 
white  moccasins  she  had  made. 

Thus  pondered  Astumastao  through  the 
long  weeks  that  were  passing  by  since  Oowi- 
kapun  left  her,  while  he,  brave  fellow,  little 
dreaming  that  such  conflicting  feelings  were 
in  her  heart,  was  putting  his  life  in  jeopardy, 
and  enduring  hardships  innumerable,  to  save 
and  benefit  the  one  who  had  become  dearer  to 
him  than  life  itself. 

Thus  the  time  rolled  on,  and  all  her  efforts 
to  banish  him  from  her  mind  proved  failures, 
and  it  came  to  pass  that,  like  the  true,  noble 
girl  that  she  was,  she  could  only  think  of 
that  which  was  brave  and  good  about  him,  and 
so  when  some  startling  rumors  of  a  delightful 
character  began  to  be  circulated  among  the 
wicfwams,  our  heroine,  Astumastao,  without 
knowing  the  reason  why,  at  once  associated 
them  with  Oowikapun.     News  travels  rapidly 


fit 


The  Suduen  Disappkaranck, 


179 


sometimes,  even  in  the  lands  where  telegraphs 
and  express  trains  aro  unknown.  It  does  not 
always  require  the  well-appointed  mail  service 
to  carry  the  news  rapidly  through  the  land. 

During  the  terrible  civil  war  in  the  United 
States  there  was  among  the  Negroes  of  the 
South  what  was  known  as  the  grapevine  telegra- 
phy, by  which  the  colored  people  in  remote  sec- 
tions often  had  news  of  success  or  disaster  to 
the  army  of  "  Uncle  Abraham,"  as  they  loved  to 
call  President  Lincoln,  long  before  the  whites 
had  any  knowledge  of  what  had  occurred. 

So  it  was  among  the  Indian  tribes.  In  some 
mysterious,  and  to  the  whites,  most  unaccount- 
able way,  the  news  of  success  or  disaster  was 
carried  hundreds  of  miles  in  a  marvelously 
short  period  of  time.  For  example,  the  de- 
feat and  death  of  General  Custer  at  the  battle 
of  the  Rosebud  was  known  among  the  Sioux 
Indians,  near  St.  Paul,  for  several  hours  before 
the  military  authorities  at  the  same  place  had 
any  knowledge  of  it,  although  the  whites  were 
able  to  communicate  more  than  half  of  the 
way  with  each  other  by  telegraph.  An  inter- 
esting subject  this  might  prove  for  some  one 
13 


ii 


I'lv 


i8o 


OOWIKAPUN. 


who    had    time   and    patience    to    give    it  a 
thorough  investigation. 

The  rumors  of  coming  blessings  to  the 
people  kept  increasing.  At  length  they  as- 
sumed a  form  so  tangible  that  the  people  be- 
gan to  understand  what  was  meant.  It  seemed 
that  some  hunters  met  some  other  hunters  in 
their  far-off  wanderings,  who  had  come  across 
a  party  of  Norway  House  Christian  Indians, 
who  inf<jrmed  them  that  a  visit  might  be  soon 
expected  from  the  white  man  with  the  great 
book,  about  which  there  had  been  so  many 
strange  things  circulating  for  such  a  long  time. 
When  Astumastao  heard  these  rumors  she  was 
excited  and  perplexed.  While  hoping  most 
sincerely  that  they  were  true,  and  would 
speedily  be  fulfilled,  yet  she  could  not  but  feel 
that  '>he  would  have  rejoiced  to  have  been 
able  to  have  made  the  long  journe}',  for  which 
she  had  been  so  industriously  preparing,  and 
have  had  something  to  do  in  bringing  the  mis- 
sionary and  the  book  among  her  own  people. 
And  t  len  she  let  her  thoughts  go  to  some  one 
else,  and  she  said  to  herself,  "  I  will  rejoice  if 
it  turns  out  to  be  the  work  of  Oowikapun." 


liJ 


if 


M 


-^        3 


c 


<« 


I 


I        t 


I 


'I 


In  Nkku  of  a  Mission  a  rv. 


'«3 


CHAPTHR  XIV. 
In  Need  of  a  Missionary. 

j ]\\E  success  which    his  attciulcd  the 

I      I      I     efforts  of  the  missionaries  in  preach- 
j  I     in^    the    Gospel    amon^    the    most 

northern  tribes  of  Indians  has  been 
very  encouraging.  For  a  long  time  they  iiad 
been  dissatisfied  with  their  old  paganism.  They 
had  in  a  measure  become  convinced  that  their 
religious  teachers,  their  medicine  men,  and 
conjurers,  were  impostors  and  liars,  and  so, 
while  submitting  somewhat  to  their  sway, 
were  yet  chafing  under  it.  When  the  first 
missionaries  arrived  among  them  they  were 
soon  convinced  that  they  were  their  true 
friends.  Not  only  were  they  men  of  saintly 
lives  and  pure  characters,  but  they  were  men 
who  practically  sympathized  with  the  people, 
and  to  the  full  measure  of  their  ability,  and 
often  beyond,  they  helped  the  sick  and  suffer- 
ing ones,  and  more  than  once  divided  their 
last  meal  with  the  poor,  hungry  creatures  who 


< 


ll 


I 


I84 


OOWIKAPUN. 


mI 


cainc  to  them  in  their  hours  of  direst  need. 
The  result  was  that  the  people  were  so  con- 
vinced of  the  genuineness  of  these  messengers 
of  peace  and  good  will,  that  large  numbers  of 
them  gladly  accepted  the  truth  and  became 
loving  Christians. 

The  story  of  the  founding  of  these  missions 
went  far  and  wide  throughout  all  these  north- 
ern regions,  and  at  many  a  distant  camp  fire, 
and  in  many  a  wigwam  hundreds  of  miles 
away,  the  red  men  talked  of  the  white  man 
and  his  book  of  heaven. 

Occasionally  some  of  these  hunters  or  trip- 
pers, from  these  still  remote  pagan  districts  of 
their  great  hunting  grounds,  would  meet  with 
some  of  the  Christian  hunters  from  the  mis- 
sions, and  from  them  would  learn  something 
of  the  great  salvation  revealed  in  the  book  of 
heaven,  and  they  would  ret.irn  more  dissatis- 
fied than  ever  with  their  old,  sinful,  pagan 
ways 

Then  it  sometimes  happened  that  a  mis- 
sionary, full  of  zeal  for  his  Master,  and  of 
sympathy  for  these  poor,  neglected  souls  in 
the  wilderness,  woukl  undertake  long  journe)'s 


\^ 


In  Nkkd  ok  a   Mission akv. 


\' 


•SS 


into  their  country  to  preach  to  them  tliis  j^re.it 
salvation.  Many  were  the  liarilships  ami 
dangers  of  those  trips,  whicii  were  often  of 
many  weeks'  duration.  Tiiey  were  made  in 
summer  in  a  bircli  canoe  witli  a  couple  of 
noble  Christian  Indians,  who  were  not  only 
able  skillfully  to  paddle  the  canoe,  and  guide 
it  safely  down  the  swift,  dangerous  rapids,  and 
carry  it  across  the  portages,  but  also  be  of 
great  help  to  the  missionary  in  spreading  the 
Gospel  by  telling  of  their  own  conversion,  and 
of  the  joy  and  happiness  which  liad  come  to 
them  through  the  hearty  acceptance  of  this 
way. 

In  winter  the  missionaries  could  only  make 
these  long  journeys  by  traveling  with  dogs, 
accompanied  by  a  faithful  guide  and  some 
clever  dog  drivers.  Sometimes  they  traveled 
for  three  hundred  miles  through  the  cold 
forests  or  over  the  great  frozen  lakes  for  many 
days  together  without  seeing  a  house.  When 
night  overtook  them,  they  dug  a  hole  in  the 
snow,  and  there  they  slept  or  shivered  as  best 
they  could.  Their  food  was  fat  meat,  and 
they  fed  their  dogs  on  fish.     The  cold  was  so 


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terrible  that  sometimes  every  part  of  their 
faces  exposed  to  the  dreadful  cold  was  frozen. 
Once  one  of  the  missionaries  froze  his  nose 
and  ears  in  bed !  Often  the  temperature 
ranged  from  forty  to  sixty  degrees  below  zero. 
It  was  perhaps  the  hardest  mission  field 
in  the  world,  as  regards  the  physical  suf- 
ferings and  privations  endured  ;  but,  fired  by  a 
noble  ambition  to  preach  the  Gospel  "  in  the 
region  beyond,"  these  men  of  God  considered 
no  sufferings  too  severe,  or  difficulties  insur- 
mountable, if  only  they  could  succeed.  They 
were  among  those  of  whom  it  is  said  : 

"  Fired  with  a  zeal  peculiar,  they  defy 
The  rage  and  rigor  of  a  northern  sky, 
And  plant  successfully  sweet  Sharon's  rose 
On  icy  fields  amidst  eternal  snows." 

Wherever  they  could  gather  the  wandering 
Indians  together,  even  in  little  companies,  for 
religious  worship  they  did  so.  On  the  banks 
of  the  lakes  or  rivers,  in  the  forests,  at  their 
camp  fires,  or  in  their  wigwams,  they  ceased 
not  to  speak  and  to  preach  Jesus.  The  result 
was,  a  spirit  of  inquiry  was  abroad,  and  so,  in 
spite  of  the  old  conjurers  and  medicine  men, 


iifii 


l\ 


it 


In  Need  of  a  Missionary. 


187 


who  were  determined,  if  possible,  not  to  lose 
their  grip  upon  them,  there  was  a  longing  to 
know  more  and  more  about  this  better  way. 

Norway  House  Mission  was  the  spot  to 
which  many  eyes  were  directed,  and  to  which 
deputations  asking  for  missionary  help  often 
came.  It  was  the  largest  and  most  flourishing 
of  those  northern  missions,  and  for  years  had 
its  own  printing  press  and  successful  schools. 

Very  pathetic  and  thrilling  were  some  of  the 
scenes  in  connection  with  some  of  these  im- 
portunate Indian  deputations,  who  came  from 
remote  re'^ions  to  plead  with  the  resident  mis- 
sionary that  they  might  have  one  of  their  own, 
to  live  among  them  and  help  them  along  in 
the  right  way. 

One  deputation,  consisting  of  old  men,  came 
year  after  year,  and  when  still  refused  each 
successive  year,  because  there  was  none  to 
volunteer  for  a  life  so  full  of  hardships,  and  no 
money  in  the  missionary  treasury,  even  if  a 
man  couM  be  found,  became  filled  with  de- 
spair, and  even  bitterness,  and  said  :  "  Surely 
then  the  white  men  do  not,  as  they  say,  con- 
sider us  as  their  brothers,  or  they  would  not 


- 1 


f: 


1^^. 


1 88 


OOWIKAPUN. 


:':!  i  ■ 


I    if  ill 


leave  us  without  the  book  of  heaven  and  one 
of  their  members  to  show  us  the  true  way." 

Another  old  man,  with  bitterness  of  soul  and 
tremulousness  of  speech,  when  replying  to  the 
refusal  of  his  request  for  a  missionary  for  his 
people,  said :  "  My  eyes  have  grown  dim  with 
long  watching,  and  my  hair  has  grown  gray 
while  longing  for  a  missionary."  These  im- 
portunate appeals,  transmitted  year  after  year 
to  the  missionary  authorities,  at  length,  in  a 
measure,  so  aroused  the  Churches  that  more 
help  was  sent,  but  not  before  the  toilers  on  the 
ground  had  almost  killed  themselves  in  the 
work.  Vast  indeed  was  the  area  of  some  of 
those  mission  fields,  and  wretched  and  toil- 
some were  the  methods  of  travel  over  them. 
George  McDougall's  mission  was  larger  than 
all  France ;  Henry  Steinhaur's  was  larger  than 
Germany ;  the  one  of  which  Norway  House 
was  the  principal  station  was  over  five  hun- 
dred miles  long,  and  three  hundred  wide ;  and 
there  were  others  just  as  large.  No  wonder 
men  quickly  broke  down  and  had  soon  to  re- 
tire from  such  work.  The  prisoners  in  the 
jails    and   penitentiaries  of  the  land   live   on 


;  ]i 


m  It 


In  Need  of  a  Missioxarv 


189 


I 


much  better  fare  than  did  these  heroic  men 
and  their  families.  The  great  staple  of  the 
North  was  fish.  Fish  twenty-one  times  a  week 
for  six  months,  and  not  much  else  with  it. 
True,  it  was  sometimes  varied  by  a  pot  of 
boiled  muskrat  or  a  roasted  leg  of  a  wild  cat. 

Yet,  amid  such  hardships,  which  tried  both 
souls  and  bodies,  they  toiled  on  bravely  and 
uncomplainingly,  and,  as  far  as  possible,  re- 
sponded to  the  pleading  Macedonian  calls  that 
came  to  them  for  help,  from  the  remote 
regions  still  farther  beyond,  and  gladly  wel- 
comed to  their  numbers  the  additional  help- 
ers when  they  arrived. 

With  only  one  of  these  deputations  pleading 
for  a  missionary  have  we  here  to  do. 

It  was  a  cold,  wintry  morning.  The  fierce 
storms  of  that  northern  land  were  howling  out- 
side, and  the  frost  king  seemed  to  be  holding 
high  carnival.  Quickly  and  quietly  was  the 
door  of  the  mission  house  opened,  and  in  there 
came  two  Indians.  One  of  them  was  our  be- 
loved friend  Memotas,  who  was  warmly 
greeted  by  all,  for  he  was  a  general  favor- 
ite.    The  Httle  children  of  the  mission  home, 


) 


I 


h 


IM 


rf 


190 


OOWIKAPUN. 


H  M 


Sa^astaookemou  and  Minnehaha,  rushed  into 
his  arms  and  kissed  his  bronzed  but  beautiful 
face.  When  their  noisy  greetings  were  over, 
he  introduced  the  stranger  who  was  with  him. 
He  seemed  to  be  about  twenty-seven  or 
twenty-eight  years  of  age,  and  was  a  fine, 
handsome  looking  man ;  in  fact,  an  ideal  In- 
dian of  the  forest.  Very  cordially  was  he 
welcomed,  and  Memotas  said  his  name  was 
Oowikapun. 

Thus  was  our  hero  in  the  mission  house,  and 
in  the  presence  of  the  first  missionary  he  had 
ever  seen.  How  had  he  reached  this  place? 
and  what  was  the  object  of  his  coming?  These 
questions  we  will  try  to  answer. 

The  last  glimpse  we  had  of  Oowikapun  was 
when  he  was  quietly  speeding  away  from  the 
far-ofif  village  where  dwelt  Astumastao,  and, 
according  to  the  hunters,  returning  not  in  the 
trail  leading  to  his  own  village.  His  presence 
here  in  the  mission  house,  hundreds  of  miles 
in  the  opposite  direction,  now  explains  to  us 
the  way  in  which  he  must  have  traveled. 

Fro.n  his  own  lips,  long  after,  the  story  of 
his  adventurous  trip  was  told. 


1?, 


In  Need  of  a  Missionary. 


191 


us 


of 


Oowikapun  said  that,  when  he  left  Astu- 
mastao  after  that  last  interview  in  which  he  so 
completely  failed  to  divert  her  from  her  de- 
termination to  undertake,  with  the  other 
women,  the  long,  dangerous  journey,  and  in 
which  she  had  shown  him  how  little  he  was 
to  be  depended  upon,  he  went  back  to  the 
wigwam  of  his  friends  feeling  very  uncomfort- 
able. His  relatives  had  all  gone  off  hunting 
or  visiting,  and  so  there  he  was  alone  in  his 
tent.  He  kindled  a  fire,  and  by  it  he  sat 
and  tried  to  think  over  what  had  happened, 
and  was  full  of  regret  at  what  Astumastao  had 
resolved  to  do.  While  almost  frightened  at 
the  dangers  she  was  about  to  face,  he  could 
not  but  be  proud  of  her  spirit  and  courage. 

Then  the  thought  came  to  him,  What  are 
you  doing?  Is  there  not  man  enough  in  you 
to  do  this  work,  and  save  these  women  from 
such  risks?  Is  it  not  as  much  for  you  as  any- 
body else  the  missionary  is  needed  ?  Are  you 
not  about  the  most  miserable  one  in  the  tribe  ? 
Here  is  your  opportunity  to  show  what  you 
can  accomplish ;  and,  as  Memotas  was  always 
doing  the  hard  work  for  his  wife,  here  is  your 


I! 


:'fi 


i 


192 


OOWIKAPUN. 


chance  to  save  from  danger,  and  do  the  work 
that  the  one  you  are  longing  to  call  your  wife 
is  intending  to  do. 

'•While  I  thought  about  it,"  said  Oowika- 
pun,  *'  the  thing  took  such  hold  upon  me  that 
it  fairly  made  me  tremble  with  excitement, 
and  I  resolved  to  set  about  it  at  once.  So  I 
very  quickly  gathered  my  few  things  together, 
and  when  all  was  still  I  left  the  village.  Some 
falling  snow  covered  up  my  snowshoe  tracks 
and  the  little  trail  made  by  my  sled,  and  so  no 
one  could  tell  in  which  direction  I  had  gone. 

"  I  had  many  adventures.  The  snow  was 
deep ;  but  I  had  my  good  snowshoes  and 
pic  of  ammunition,  and,  as  there  was  con- 
sidt.able  game,  I  managed  very  well.  One 
night  I  had  a  supper  of  marrow  bones,  which  I 
got  hold  of  in  a  strange  way.  I  was  pushing 
along  early  in  the  forenoon  when  I  heard  a 
great  noise  of  wolves  not  very  far  off.  Quickly 
I  unstrapped  my  gun  and  prepared  to  defend 
myself  if  I  should  be  attacked.  Their  bowl- 
ings so  increased  that  I  became  convinced 
that  they  were  so  numerous  that  my 
safest     plan    was    to   get   up    in    a   tree   as 


Am 


I 


In  Need  of  a  Missionary. 


193 


quickly  as  possible.  This  I  did,  and  then  I 
drew  up  my  sled  beyond  their  reach.  Not 
very  long  after  I  had  succeeded  in  this,  I  saw 
a  great  moose  doer  plunging  through  the 
snow,  followed  by  fierce  gray  wolves.  He 
made  the  most  desperate  efforts  to  escape  ; 
but,  as  they  did  not  sink  deeply  in  the  snow, 
while  he  broke  through  at  every  plunge,  they 
were  too  much  for  him,  and  although  he  badly 
injured  some  of  them,  yet  they  succeeded  in 
pulling  him  down  and  devoured  him.  It  was 
dreadful  to  see  the  way  they  snarled  and 
fought  with  each  other  over  the  great  body. 
They  gorged  themselves  ere  they  went  away, 
and  left  nothing  but  the  great  bones.  When 
they  had  disappeared,  I  came  down  from  the 
tree,  in  which  I  had  been  obliged  to  remain 
about  six  hours.  I  was  nearly  frozen,  and  so 
I  quickly  cut  down  some  small  dead  trees  and 
made  up  a  good  fire.  I  then  gathered  the 
large  marrow  bones  from  which  the  wolves  had 
gnawed  the  meat,  and,  standing  them  up 
against  a  log  close  to  the  fire,  I  roasted  them 
until  the  marrow  inside  was  well  cooked  ;  then, 
cracking  them  open  with  the  back  of  my  ax, 


li 


I 


If  ^' 


ii 


194 


OOWIKAPUN. 


pii 


I  had  a  famous  supper  upon  what  the  wolves 
had  left. 

"  I  had  several  other  adventures,"  said  Oowi- 
kapun ;  "  but  the  most  interesting  of  all,  and 
the  one  most  pleasing  to  mc,  was  that  I 
reached  Beaver  Lake  in  time  to  rescue  an  old 
man  from  being  eaten  by  the  wolves.  His  rela- 
tives were  some  very  heartless  people  of  the 
Salteaux  tribe.  They  w.?re  making  a  long 
journey  through  the  country  to  a  distant  hunt- 
ing ground,  and  because  this  old  grandfather 
could  not  keep  up  in  the  trail,  and  food  was 
not  plentiful,  they  deliberately  left  him  to  per- 
ish. They  acted  in  a  very  cruel  and  heartless 
way.  They  cut  down  and  stuck  some  poles  in 
the  snow,  and  then  over  the  top  they  threw 
a  few  pieces  of  birch  bark.  This  in  mockery 
they  called  his  tent.  Then  seating  him  on  a 
piece  of  a  log  in  it,  where  he  was  exposed  to 
view  from  every  side,  they  left  him  without 
any  fire  or  blankets,  and  gave  him  only  a  small 
quantity  of  dried  meat  in  a  birch  dish  which 
they  call  a  rogaii.  There,  when  he  had  eaten 
this  meat,  he  was  expected  to  lie  down  and 
die. 


h>    ^ 


In  Need  of  a  MibbioNAKY. 


»95 


••  When  I  found  him  he  was  nearly  dead 
with  the  cold.  He  had  eaten  his  meat  and 
was  sitting  there  on  the  log  brandishing  his  old 
tomahawk  to  keep  off  several  wolves,  who 
were  patiently  waiting  until  he  would  become 
wearied  out,  when  they  would  spring  in  upon 
him  and  speedily  devour  him.  So  intent  were 
they  on  watching  him,  that  I  was  able  to  get 
up  so  close  to  them  that  I  sent  a  bullet 
through  two  of  them,  killing  them  instantly. 
The  others,  frightened  by  the  report  of  the 
gun,  quickly  rushed  away.  I  cheered  ;  p  the 
old  man,  and  speedily  made  a  fire  and  gave 
him  some  warm  soup  which  I  prepared. 

"  I  had  to  stay  there  with  him  a  day  before 
he  was  strong  enough  to  go  on  with  me.  I 
have  succeeded  in  bringing  him  with  me  to 
Norway  House  by  dragging  him  on  my  sled 
most  of  the  way.  I  took  him  to  the  house  of 
Memotas,  where  he  was  kindly  treated  and 
cared  for,  as  are  all  who  come  under  the  roof 
of  that  blessed  man." 


!'!  . 


.i>M 


^ 


iiil 


196 


OUWIKAI'LN. 


CHAin'FiR   XV. 

The  Missionary  on  his  Journey. 

; jOWIKAPUN,  during    the  days  .md 

I     r  J    I     weeks  fullDwiML;.  in  his  pleadings  for 
I  1     a  missionai}'  had  a  great  helper  in 

Meniotas,  who  had  become  very 
much  interested  in  him.  This  devoted  man 
liad  often  thought  about  the  )'oung  wounded 
Indian  who  long  ago  had  come  to  his  hunting 
lodge,  so  far  away,  to  be  cunxl  of  the  injuries 
inflicted  by  the  savage  wolf. 

Since  his  arrival,  he  had  drawn  from  him 
many  of  the  events  that  had  occurred  in  his 
life  since  they  had  knelt  down  in  the  woods 
together.  He  had  opened  to  Memotas  his 
heart,  and  had  told  him  of  liis  feeble  efforts  to 
live  the  better  life,  and  of  his  complete  failure. 
He  told  him  of  Astumastao,  and  made  the 
heart  of  Memotas  and  others  glad,  who 
remembered  the  little  black-eyed  maiden  from 
the  far  North  wlio  had  dwelt  a  year  in  the  vil- 
lage.    They  all  rejoiced  to  hear  that  she  still 


!■   ■'. 


m  i 


C 
o 

■^ 

i. 

-a 

c 

c 

u 

u 

Ic 
O 

c 

-3 

c 


a, 

3 
O 
>_ 

O 
< 


1 


!1 


Mljl 


f , 


r  I  'i  i 


I 


The  Missionary  ox  his  Journey.       199 

treasured  in  her  breast  so  much  of  the  truth 
and  was  so  anxious  for  a  missionary. 

These  were  happy  weeks  for  Oowikapun. 
Under  the  faithful  instructions  of  Memotas  he 
was  being  rapidly  helped  along  in  the  way  to 
a  Christian  life.  Perplexities  and  mysteries 
were  being  cleared  up,  and  light  was  driving 
the  darkness  and  gloom  out  of  his  mind  and 
heart.  Frequently  did  the  faithful  missionary, 
who  had  also  become  much  interested  in  him, 
have  long  conversations  with  him,  giving  him 
much  assistance,  as  well  as  arranging  for  the 
comfort  of  the  old  Salteaux  whom  he  had 
rescued  from  such  a  dreadful  death.  The  plan 
of  salvation  by  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  was  un- 
folded to  Oowikapun,  and  the  necessity  of  a 
firm  and  constant  reliance  upon  God  for  help 
in  times  of  need  was  so  explained  to  him  that 
he  saw  where  his  failures  had  been,  because,  in 
his  own  strength,  he  had  tried  to  resist 
temptation,  and  thus  had  so  sadly  failed. 

The   Sabbath   services  intensely   interested 

him,  and  he  took  great  delight  in  them.     The 

Sunday  school  was  a  revelation  to  him,  and  he 

gladly  accepted    the   invitation  of  Memotas, 
13 


:rlM 


•;  i 


lir 


•   ir 


Ik 


liiiri 


•00 


OOWIKAPUN. 


and  became  an  interested  member  of  his  class. 


II 


c  see 


med   to  live  in  a  new  world,  and  when 


he  contrasted  what  he  had  witnessed  nearly 
all  his  days  amid  the  darkness  and  evils  of  the 
pagan  Indians  with  what  he  saw  among  this 
happy  Christian  people,  instructed  by  the  mis- 
sionaries out  of  the  book  of  heaven,  his  dream 
came  up  vividly  before  him,  and  now  it  had  a 
meaning  as  never  before.  Here,  in  this  Chris- 
tian village,  were  the  people  of  his  own  race 
whom  he  had  seen  in  the  bright  and  happy 
way,  with  Jesus  as  their  guide,  and  the  beauti- 
ful heaven  beyond  as  their  destination. 

As  he  studied  them  more  and  more,  the 
more  importunate  and  anxious  he  became  to 
have  the  missionary  of  this  station  go  and  visit 
his  people,  and  thus  prepare  the  way  for  their 
own  missionary  when  he  should  come  to  live 
amonci:  them. 

Oowikapun's  anxiety  for  light,  and  his 
intense  interest  in  everything  that  pertained 
to  the  progress  of  the  people,  and,  above  all, 
his  resolve  to  succeed  in  getting  the  missionary, 
created  a  great  deal  of  interest  among  the  vil- 
lagers.    With  their  usual  open-hearted  hospi- 


li'ifl 


iv.  ^  I 


20I 


his 
lined 
[c  all, 
nary, 
ie  vil- 
[ospi- 


The  Missionary  on  his  Journf.y. 

tality,  they  invited  him  to  their  comfortable 
homes,  and  from  many  of  them  he  learned 
much  to  help  him  along  in  the  good  way. 

So  marvelously  had  Christianity  lifted  up 
and  benefited  the  people  that  Oowikapun  with 
his  simple  forest  ways,  at  times  felt  keenly  his 
ignorance  as  he  contrasted  his  crude  life  with 
what  he  now  witnessed. 

A  genuine  civilization  following  Christianity 
had  come  to  many  of  these  once  degraded 
tribes,  and  now  comfortable  homes  and  large 
and  happy  family  circles  are  to  be  found 
where  not  a  generation  ago  all  was  dark  and 
degraded,  and  the  sweet  word  "  home  "  was  ut- 
terly unknown. 

The  conversion  of  some  of  these  Indians  was 
very  remarkable,  and  the  recital  of  how  they 
had  come  out  of  the  darkness  into  the  light 
was  most  helpful  to  him. 

When  there  is  a  disposition  to  surrender  we 
are  easily  conquered,  and  such  was  the  con- 
dition of  mind  in  which  was  the  r»«ssionary 
to  whom  Oowikapun  had  come  with  his  ear- 
nest appeals.  The  decision  to  go  was  no 
sooner  reached  than  the  preparation  began  to 


:1| 


m 


m 


m 


%i 


f 


5  \ 


m 


. ,  ill 

If  h 


I 


ir 


■  I 


iji'i  ?    ,  ■■; 


202 


OOWIKAPUN. 


be  made  for  the  long  journey,  which  would 
occupy  at  least  a  month.  Four  dog-trains 
had  to  be  taken.  A  train  consists  of  four 
dogs  harnessed  up  in  tandem  style.  The  sleds 
are  about  ten  feet  long  and  sixteen  inches 
wide.  They  are  made  of  two  oak  boards,  and 
are  similar  in  construction,  but  much  stronger 
than  the  sleds  used  on  toboggan  slides. 

There  are  various  breeds  of  dogs  used  in 
that  country,  but  the  most  common  are  the 
Eskimos.  They  are  strong  and  1  :irdy,  and 
when  well  trained  are  capital  fellows  for  their 
work ;  but  beyond  that  they  are  incorrigible 
thieves  and  unmitigated  nuisances. 

Other  breeds  have  been  introduced  into  the 
country,  such  as  the  Saint  Bernard  and  the 
Newfoundlands.  These  have  all  the  good 
qualities  of  the  Eskimos,  and  are  happily  free 
from  their  blemishes.  Some  few  Scottish  stag- 
hounds,  and  other  dogs  of  the  hound  varieties, 
have  been  brought  in  by  Hudson  Bay  officers 
and  others :  but  while  they  make  very  swift 
trains,  they  can  only  be  used  for  short  trips,  as 
they  are  too  tender  to  stand  the  bitter  cold 
and  exposure,  or  the  long  and  difficult  journeys, 


the 

the 
jood 

free 
jtag- 
ities, 
icers 
jwift 
)s,  as 
I  cold 

leys, 


The  Missionary  on  his  Journey.       203 

often  of  many  days'  duration,  thro -gh  the  wild 
and  desolate  regions. 

The  various  articles  for  the  long  journey 
were  speedily  gathered  together  and  the 
sleds  carefully  packed.  Preparing  for  such  a 
journey  is  a  very  different  thing  from  getting 
ready  for  a  trip  in  a  civilized  land.  Here  the 
missionary  and  his  Indian  companions  were 
going  about  three  hundred  miles  into  the 
wilderness,  where  they  would  not  see  a  house 
or  any  kind  of  human  habitation  from  the 
time  they  left  their  homes  until  they  reached 
their  destination.  They  would  not  see  the 
least  vestige  of  a  road. 

They  would  make  their  own  trail  on  snow- 
shoes  all  that  distance,  except  when  on  the 
frozen  lakes  and  rivers,  where  snowshoes  would 
be  exchanged  for  skates  by  some,  while  the 
others  only  used  their  moccasins.  Every  night, 
when  the  toilsome  day's  travel  was  over,  they 
would  have  to  sleep  in  the  snow  in  their  own 
bed,  which  they  carried  with  them.  Their 
meals  they  would  cook  at  camp  fires,  which 
they  would  build  when  required,  as  they 
hurried  along.     So  wc  can  easily  see  that  a 


1  ii 
:1 


h 


H 

il 


i-! 


^;(?     ' 


^      ^ 

! 

i|i.^^i 

i  i  -i 

-,   I 

204 


OOWIKAPUN. 


variety  of  things  would  have  to  be  packed  on 
the  dog-sleds.  Let  us  watch  the  old,  experi- 
enced guide  and  the  dog  drivers  as  they  at- 
tend to  this  work. 

The  heaviest  item  of  the  load  is  the  supply 
of  fish  for  the  dogs.  As  this  trip  is  to  be  such 
a  long  one,  each  sled  must  carry  over  two 
hundredweight  of  fish.  Then  the  food  for  the 
missionary  and  his  Indians,  which  consists 
principally  of  fat  meat,  is  the  next  heaviest 
item.  Then  there  are  the  kettles,  and  axes, 
and  dishes,  and  numerous  robes  and  blankets 
and  changes  of  clothing,  and  a  number  of  other 
things,  to  be  ready  for  every  emergency  or 
accident ;  for  they  are  going  to  live  so  isolated 
from  the  rest  of  the  world  that  they  must  be 
entirely  independent  of  it.  One  thing  more 
they  must  not  forget,  and  that  is  a  liberal 
supply  of  dog  shoes,  and  so  on  this  trip  they 
take  over  a  hundred. 

In  selecting  his  Indian  companions,  the 
missionary's  first  thought  is  for  a  suitable  guide, 
as  much  depends  on  him.  The  one  chosen  for 
this  trip  was  called  Murdo,  a  very  reliable 
man,  who  had  come  orisfinallv  from   Nelson 


The  Missioxarv  ox  his  Journey.       205 

River.  Very  clevei  and  c;ifted  arc  some  of 
these  Northern  guides.  Without  the  vestige 
of  a  track  before  them,  and  without  the  mark 
of  an  ax  upon  a  tree,  or  the  least  sign  that 
ever  human  beings  had  passed  that  way  before, 
they  stride  along  on  their  big  snowshoes  day 
after  day,  without  any  hesitancy.  The  white 
man  often  gets  so  bewildered  that  he  does 
not  know  east  from  went  or  north  from  south  ; 
but  the  guide  never  hesitates,  and  is  very 
seldom  at  fault.  To  them  it  makes  no  dif- 
ference whether  the  sun  shines  or  clouds 
obscure  the  sky,  or  whether  they  journey  by 
day  or  night.  Sometimes  it  is  necessary  to 
do  much  of  the  traveling  b}'  night,  on  account 
of  the  reflection  of  the  dazzling  rayr,  of  the 
sun  on  the  great,  brilliant  wastes  of  snow  giv- 
ing the  travelers  a  disease  called  snow-blind- 
ness, which  is  painful  in  the  extreme.  To 
guard  against  this,  traveling  is  frequently  done 
through  the  hours  of  night,  and  the  sleep 
secured  is  during  the  hours  of  sunshine. 

Yet  the  experienced  guide  v.'ill  lead  on  just 
as  well  by  night  as  by  day.  To  him  it  makes 
no  difference  what  may  be  the  character  of  the 


'!i 


:i 


i*tl  : 


i! 


IE 


.1  h 


il; 


jHI 


1^ 


1 


[ 

1     ; 

1 

t 

,  t 

t 

1 

1 

i 

[   1 

f ' 

li 

t 

,'           i 

P 

kifflJ 

2o6 


OOWIKAPUN. 


night.  Stars  may  shine,  auroras  may  flash 
and  scintillate,  and  the  moon  may  throw  her 
cold,  silvery  beams  over  the  landscape,  or 
clouds  may  gather  and  wintry  storms  rage 
and  howl  through  the  forest ;  yet  on  and  on 
will  the  guide  go  with  unerring  accuracy, 
leading  to  the  desired  camping  ground. 

With  this  guide,  three  dog  drivers,  and 
Oowikapun,  the  missionary  commenced  his 
first  journey  to  Nelson  River. 

The  contemplated  trip  had  caused  no  little 
excitement,  not  only  on  account  of  its 
dangers,  but  also  because  it  was  the  pioneer- 
ing trip  for  new  evangelistic  work  among  a 
people  who  had  never  seen  a  missionary  or 
heard  the  name  of  Jesus.  And  so  it  was  that, 
although  the  start  was  made  very  early  in  the 
morning,  yet  there  were  scores  of  Indians 
gathered  to  see  the  missionary  and  his  party 
off,  and  to  wish  them  **  Godspeed  "  on  their 
glorious  work. 

The  hasty  farewells  were  soon  said,  and 
parting  from  his  loved  ones,  whom  he  would 
not  see  for  a  month,  the  missionary  gave  the 
word  to  start,  and  they  were  off. 


The  Missionary  on  his  Journey.       207 


eir 

Ind 
lid 
Ihe 


Murdo,  the  guide,  ran  on  ahead  on  his  snow 
shoes.  The  missionary  came  next.  He  had 
with  him  Oovvikapun,  the  happiest  man  in  the 
crowd.  When  the  missionary  could  ride — 
which  was  the  case  where  the  route  lay  over 
frozen  lakes  or  along  stretches  of  the  rivers — 
Oovvikapun  was  his  driver,  and  rejoiced  at 
being  thus  honored.  Following  the  mission- 
ary's train,  came  the  other  three  in  single  file, 
so  that  those  following  had  the  advantage  of 
the  road  made  by  the  sleds  and  snowshoes  in 
front.  Where  the  snow  was  very  decj),  or  a 
fresh  supply  had  recently  fallen,  it  sometimes 
happened  that  the  missionary  and  all  the  In- 
dians had  to  strap  on  their  snowshoes,  and,  fol- 
lowing in  the  tracks  of  the  guide,  tramp  on 
ahead  of  the  dogs,  and  thus  endeavor  to  make 
a  road  over  which  those  faithful  animals  could 
drag  their  heavy  loads. 

When  our  travelers  began  to  feel  hungry  a 
fire  was  quickly  kindled,  a  kettle  of  tea  pre- 
pared, and  a  hearty  lunch  of  cold  meat  or 
pemmican  was  eaten  and  washed  down  with 
the  strong  tea.  So  vigorous  are  the  appetites 
in  that  cold  land,  that  often  five  times  a  day 


ii 


i 


t     i 


I 


li.l 


20S 


OOWIKAPUN. 


(Jo  the  travelers  stop  for  lunch.  Then  on  they 
go  until  the  setting  sun  tells  them  it  is  time  to 
prepare  for  the  wintry  camp,  where  the  night 
is  to  be  spent.  If  they  can  possibly  find  it, 
they  select  a  place  where  there  are  green  bal- 
sam trees,  and  plenty  of  dry  dead  ones.  The 
green  ones  will  furnish  the  bed,  while  the  dry 
ones  will  make  the  fire. 

When  such  a  place  is  found  a  halt  is  called 
and  everybody  is  busy.  The  dogs  arc  quickly 
unharnessed  and  gambol  about  close  to  the 
camp  and  never  attempt  to  desert. 

From  the  spot  selected  for  the  camp  the 
snow  is  quickly  scraped  by  using  the  great 
snowshoes  as  shovels.  Then  a  roaring  fire  is 
made,  and  on  it  the  kettles,  filled  with  snow, 
are  placed.  In  the  larger  kettle  a  piece  of  fat 
meat  is  cooked,  and  in  the  other  one  tea  is 
made.  While  supper  is  cooking  the  dogs  are 
fed.  They  are  only  given  one  meal  a  day,  and 
that  is  at  night.  Two  good  whitefish  consti- 
tute a  meal.  These  are  thawed  out  for  them 
at  the  fire ;  and  after  eating  them  they  curl 
themselves  up  in  their  nests  and  sleep  or 
shiver  through  the  cold  night  as  best  they  can. 


/ 


/ 


/ 


fat 
I  is 

are 
and 
isti- 
lem 
curl 

or 


Thk  Missionary  ox  his  Journkv.       209 

The  supper,  which  consists  principally  of  fat 
meat,  is  then  eaten,  and  after  prayers  prepara- 
tions are  made  (ur  retiring.  A  lajer  of  bal- 
sam boughs  is  placed  on  the  ground  ;  on  this 
the  robes  and  blankets  are  spread  ;  and  tlien 
the  missionary,  wrapping  himself  up  in  all  the 
garments  he  can  well  get  on,  retires  first  and 
is  well  covered  up  by  additional  blankets  and 
fur  robes.  So  completely  tucked  in  is  he  that 
it  is  a  mystery  why  he  does  not  smother  to 
death.  But  somehow  he  manages  to  survive^ 
and  after  a  while  gets  to  stand  it  like  an  In- 
dian. Persons  unacquainted  with  this  kind  of 
life  can  hardly  realize  how  it  is  possible  for 
human  beinirs  to  thus  lie  down  in  a  hole  in  the 

o 

snow,  and  sleep  comfortably  with  the  tempera- 
ture everywhere  from  forty  to  sixty  below  zero. 
However,  difficult  as  it  is,  it  has  to  be  done  if 
the  Gospel  is  to  be  carried  to  people  so  remote 
that  there  is  no  better  way  of  reaching  them. 
Such  travelers  are  always  thankful  when  a  foot 
or  eighteen  inches  of  snow  falls  upon  them.  It 
is  a  capital  comforter,  and  adds  very  much  to 
their  warmth. 

One  of  the  most  difficult  things  in  connec- 


210 


OOWIKAPUX. 


tioii  with  this  kind  of  traveling  is  getting  up. 
The  fire  which  was  burning  brightly  when 
they  retired  was  but  a  flasliy  one,  and  so  it  ex- 
pired very  soon,  and  did  not  long  add  much  to 
their  comfort.  i\nd  now  when  morning  has 
come,  and  they  have  to  spring  up  from  their 
warm  robes  and  blankets,  the  cold  is  so  terri- 
ble that  they  suffer  very  much.  No  wonder 
they  shiver  and  quickly  get  to  work.  Soon  a 
roaring  fire  is  burning,  and  breakfast  prepared 
and  enjoyed.  After  morning  prayers  the  sleds 
are  packed,  the  dogs  are  harnessed,  and  the 
journey  is  resumed. 


V 


11 


The  Missionary  at  Work. 


3TI 


CHAPTbR  XVI. 
The  Missionary  at  Work. 

'  '  '  ■"•IGHT  times  was  the  wintry  camp 
1—1  I  made  on  this  lon^  trip,  which  was 
i  full  of  strange  adventures  and  many 
hardships  to  every  one  of  the  party  ; 
and  so  they  were  ghid  indeed  when  Murdo  and 
Oowikapun  told  the  others,  on  the  ninth  day, 
at  about  noon,  that  they  were  only  six  miles 
from  Nelson  River. 

This  was  indeed  welcome  news  to  all,  es- 
pecially to  the  missionary.  He  had  not  had 
the  severe  physical  training  which  naturally 
falls  to  the  lot  of  an  Indian.  True,  he  had  his 
own  dog-sled,  and  was  supposed  to  ride  when 
possible ;  but  there  were  whole  days  when  he 
had  to  strap  on  his  snowshoes  and  march  along 
in  single  file  with  his  Indians,  and,  as  happy 
Oowikapun  put  it  in  his  broken  English,  "  Good 
missionary  help  make  um  track." 

The  result  of  this  "  make  um  track "  busi- 
ness was  that  he  was  about  wornout  ere  the 


! 


il 


!i 


I  i         '.? 


212 


OOWIKAPUN. 


journey  was  ended.  Several  times  had  the 
cramps  seized  him  in  such  a  way  that  the 
muscles  of  his  legs  so  gathered  up  in  knots 
that  he  suffered  intensely  for  hours.  Then  his 
feet  were  tender,  and  they  chafed  so  under  the 
deerskin  thongs  of  the  snowshoes  that  the 
blood  soaked  through  his  moccasins,  and  in 
many  places  crimsoned  the  snow  as  he  bravely 
toiled  along.  More  than  once,  as  he  had  to 
stop  and  rest  on  a  log  covered  with  snow,  did 
he  question  with  himself  whether  he  had  done 
right  in  undertaking  a  journey  so  fraught  with 
sufferings  and  dangers. 

Cheering,  then,  was  the  news  that  the  jour- 
ney was  nearly  ended.  A  halt  was  called,  a 
kettle  of  tea  was  prepared,  and  lunch  was 
eaten  with  great  pleasure.  The  dog  drivers 
put  on  some  extra  articles  of  finery  of  beauti- 
ful beadwork  or  silkwork,  that  they  might  ap- 
pear as  attractive  as  possible. 

Very  cordially  were  the  missionary  and  his 
party  welcomed  by  the  great  majority  of  the 
people.  They  were  very  much  interested  and 
excited  when  they  found  that  the  first  mission- 
ary with  the  book  of  heaven  was  among  them. 


TiiK  Missionary  at  Work. 


21 


Id  his 

If  the 
and 
fsion- 
hem. 


As  many  of  the  people  were  away  hunting, 
runners  were  dispatched  for  those  within 
reach.  All  of  these  Northern  Indians  live  by 
hunting.  They  are  beyond  the  agricultural 
regions.  Their  summers  are  very  short.  The 
result  is,  they  know  but  little  of  farinaceous  or 
vegetable  food.  There  are  old  people  there 
who  never  saw  a  potato  or  a  loaf  of  bread. 
Their  food  is  either  the  fish  from  the  waters  or 
the  game  from  the  forests.  The  result  is,  they 
have  to  wander  around  almost  continually  in 
search  of  these  things.  The  missionaries  have 
learned  this,  and  endeavor  to  arrange  their 
visits  so  as  to  meet  them  at  their  gatherings 
in  places  where  they  assemble  on  account  of 
the  proximity  of  game.  While  these  meeting 
places  are  called  villages,  they  do  not  bear 
much  resemblance  to  those  of  civilization. 

As  soon  as  the  missionary  had  rested  a  little 
he  paid  a  visit  to  the  tent  of  Koosapatum,  be- 
cause he  had  quickly  heard  of  the  dire  threats 
of  the  old  sinner.  So  gloomy  was  the  interior 
of  the  wigwam  that,  as  the  missionary  pulled 
back  the  dirty  deerskin  which  served  as  a  door 
and  entered,  he  could  hardly  see  whether  there 


■'»«' 


■m 


214 


OOWIKAPUN. 


was  anybody  in  or  not ;  and  no  kindly  word  of 
greeting  had  been  heard.  However,  his  eyes 
soon  got  accustomed  to  the  place,  and  then  he 
was  able  to  observe  that  the  old  conjurer  and 
his  wife  were  seated  on  the  ground  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  tent.  With  some  tea  and 
tobacco  in  his  left  hand,  the  missionary  ex- 
tended his  right,  saying,  "What  cheer,  mis- 
misf — the  Indian  for  "  How  are  you,  grand- 
father ?  " 

The  old  fellow  was  cross  and  surly,  and  evi- 
dently in  a  bad  humor,  and  most  decidedly  re- 
fused to  shake  hands,  while  he  growled  out 
words  of  annoyance  and  even  threatening  at 
the  coming  of  a  missionary  among  his  people. 

The  missionary,  however,  was  not  to  be 
easily  rebuffed,  and  so  reaching  down  he  took 
hold  of  his  hand,  and  in  a  pump-handle  sort  of 
style  gave  it  quite  a  shaking.  Then  taking  up 
the  tobacco,  which,  with  the  tea,  he  had 
dropped  upon  the  ground,  he  quickly  placed 
it  in  the  hand  of  the  morose  old  man.  At  first 
he  refused  to  take  it,  but  the  missionary  spoke 
kindly  to  him,  and  after  a  little,  as  he  had 
been   out   of  the   stuff  for    days,  his   fingers 


The  Missionary  at  Work. 


215 


d  evi- 
ily  re- 
el out 
Sng  at 
jople. 
o    be 
took 
ort  of 
ngup 
had 
laced 
,t  first 
poke 
had 
ngers 


closed  on  it ;  and  then  the  missionary  knew 
that  he  had  conquered  in  the  first  skirmish. 
Tobacco  among  these  Indians  is  like  salt 
among  the  Arabs.  Knowing  this,  the  mission- 
ary, who  never  used  it  himself,  adopted  this 
plan  to  make  friends  with  the  old  conjurer. 

After  he  had  taken  the  tobacco,  the  mission- 
ary took  up  the  package  of  tea,  and,  looking  at 
the  dirty  strips  of  meat  which  hung  drying 
over  a  stick,  said  :  "  You  have  meat,  and  I 
have  tea.  If  you  will  furnish  the  meat,  I  will 
the  tea,  and  we  will  have  supper  together." 

The  first  thought  of  the  old  sinner,  as  he 
glanced  at  his  medicine  bag  in  which  he  kept 
his  poisons,  was :  "  What  a  good  chance  I  shall 
now  have  to  poiso  this  man  who  has  come  to 
check  my  power!  "  However,  the  missionary 
saw  that  wicked  gleam,  and,  being  well  able  to 
read  these  men  by  this  time,  he  quickly  said  : 
**  Never  mind  your  medicine  bag  and  your 
poisons.  I  am  your  friend,  even  if  as  yet  you 
do  not  believe  it.  I  have  come  into  your  wig- 
wam, and  you  have  taken  my  tobacco,  and  I 
offer  to  cat  and  drink  with  you,  and  poison  me 

you  dare  not  I  " 
14 


h 


: 


fc5.»i.'j.*-;?»r.».  jM«s»v>iSiTPJ'i»ai''a.iKi|ii,wiiiit..>>«iM"iiiT>?r- 


h    ': 


2l6 


OOWIKATLN. 


Thoroughly  cowed  and  frightened  that  tlie 
white  man  had  so  completely  read  his 
thoughts,  he  turned  around  to  his  wife,  and  in 
imperative  tones  ordered  her  to  qiMckly  pre- 
pare the  meat  and  the  tea.  So  expeditiously 
was  the  work  accomplished  that  it  was  not 
very  long  ere  the  conjurer  and  missionary  were 
eating  and  drinking  together.  The  old  fellow 
said  the  meat  was  venison ;  the  missionary 
thought  it  was  dog  meat. 

Perhaps  we  cannot  do  better  than  to  antici- 
pate the  work  a  little  and  say  that  at  some 
later  visits  this  old  conjurer  was  induced  to 
give  up  all  of  his  wicked  practices  and  become 
an  earnest  Christian.  He  so  highly  prized  the 
visits  of  the  missionary  that  he  followed  him 
like  his  shadow.  He  attended  all  the  services, 
and  when,  wearied  out  with  the  day's  toil,  the 
missionary  prepared  to  rest,  Koosapatum  was 
not  far  off;  and  when  the  missionary  knelt 
down  to  say  his  evening  prayer  alone,  the  now 
devout  old  man  would  kneel  beside  him  and 
say :  "  Missionary,  please  pray  out  loud,  and 
pray  in  my  language,  so  that  I  can  understand 
you." 


The  Missionary  at  Work. 


217 


Thus  the  Gospel  had  come  to  the  heart  and 
was  influencing  the  life  of  even  the  conjurer  of 
the  Nelson  River  Indians.  The  service  at 
which  a  great  majority  of  the  pe^  pie  decided 
for  Christ  was  a  very  memorable  one.  It  be- 
gan at  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
The  majority  of  the  Indians  in  all  that  vast  dis- 
trict were  gathered  there. 

Oowikapun's  people  were  among  the  crowd, 
much  to  his  delight.  Astumastao  and  her 
aunt  had  heard  of  the  gathering,  and  required 
no  second  invitation  to  be  on  hand.  Great  in- 
deed was  her  joy  to  look  again  into  the  face, 
and  hear  the  voice  of  a  missionary.  Very 
much  surprised  and  bewildered  was  she  at 
having  been  anticipated  by  some  one  who  had 
succeeded  in  bringing  in  the  missionary  be- 
fore she  had  begun  her  journey  for  this  pur- 
pose. And  great  indeed  was  her  joy  and 
delight,  and  deeply  was  she  moved  when  she 
heard  of  the  part  Oowikapun  had  played  in  the 
important  work. 

The  meeting  between  the  two  was  genuine 
and  natural.  The  dream  of  her  youth  was 
now  accomplished,  for  here,  ready  to  begin  the 


y! 


2l8 


OOWIKAPUN. 


Ml 


religious  service,  was  the  missionary,  with  the 
good  book  in  his  hand.  His  coming  was 
the  result  of  the  efforts  of  Oowikapun.  That 
she  really  loved  him  the  conflicts  of  the  last 
few  weeks  most  conclusively  answered.  His 
bronzed,  weather-beaten  appearance  showed 
something  of  the  hardships  of  the  long  jour- 
ney, while  his  bright,  happy  face  revealed  to 
her  how  amply  repaid  he  felt  for  all  he  had 
endured  and  suffered. 

As  he  entered  the  gathering  assembly  it  was 
evident  to  all  that  his  quick,  eager  eyes  were  on 
the  lookout  for  some  special  friend. 

Not  long  had  he  to  look.  Astumastao  and 
her  aunt  had  come  in  from  another  wigwam, 
atid  were  not  very  far  behind  him,  and  so  were 
able  to  see  how  eagerly  he  v/as  scanning  the 
faces  of  those  who  had  already  assembled.  So 
absorbed  was  he  in  scanning  those  in  front 
that  the  noiseless  moccasined  feet  of  others 
coming  in  behind  him  were  unheeded. 

For  a  moment  Astumastao  watched  his  wist- 
ful, eager  looks,  and  well  divining  the  mean- 
ing, with  flushed  and  radiant  face  she  advanced 
toward    him  and   cordially  exclaimed  :     "  My 


Thk  Missionary  at  Work. 


219 


wist- 
lean- 
nccd 
'  My 


brave  Oowikapun  I  "  Startled,  overjoyed,  and 
utterly  unconscious  or  careless  of  the  hundreds 
of  bright  eyes  that  were  on  him,  he  seized  the 
extended  hands,  and  drawing  her  toward  him, 
he  imprinted  upon  her  brow  a  kiss  of  genuine 
and  devoted  love,  and  exclaimed :  "  My  own 
Astumastao  i 

Tucking  her  arm  in  his  as  he  had  lately  seen 
the  white  Christians  do,  he  proudly  marched 
with  her  up  to  a  prominent  place  in  the  nudi- 
cnce,  where  they  seated  themselves,  while  the 
aunt  for  the  present  judiciously  looked  out  for 
herself. 

It  was  a  very  piciuresque  assembly.  In- 
dians dress  in  an  endless  variety  of  fashions. 
Some  in  their  native  costumes  looked  as  stat- 
uesque and  beautiful  as  the  ancient  Greeks ; 
others  as  ridiculous  as  a  modern  fop. 

All,  however,  were  interested  and  filled  with 
suppressed  excitement.  The  first  hour  was 
spent  in  singing  and  prayer  and  in  reading  the 
word  of  God,  or,  as  the  Indians  love  to  call  it, 
the  book  of  heaven. 

Then  the  Indians  who  had  come  from  Nor- 
way House  with  the  missionary,  and  who  were 


1 .' 


I:  1 
I 


li.,'  1 


1 


I 


•f 


■; 


'.  A 


w 


■-vc^Tj'',i'i9''i.K^.V.*.'}M   '.'.if-i'n  iiiiii«»i 


2  20 


OOWIKAPUX. 


earnest  Christians,  told  of  how  tlicy  had  found 
the  Saviour.  Very  clear  and  definite  are  many 
of  the  Christian  Indians  on  this  point.  And 
as  Paul  loved  to  talk  about  how  the  Lord 
Jesus  had  met  him  while  on  the  way  to  Da- 
mascus, so  it  was  with  many  of  these  happy 
converted  red  men  ;  they  love  to  talk  of  their 
conversion. 

To  the  great  joy  of  the  missionary',  Oowika- 
pun  asked  for  the  privilege  of  saying  a  few 
words.  At  first  he  seemed  to  falter  a  little, 
but  soon  he  rose  above  all  fear,  and  most 
blessedly  and  convincingly  did  he  talk.  We 
need  not  go  over  it  again  ;  it  was  the  story  of 
his  life,  as  it  has  been  recorded  in  these 
chapters.  Because  of  the  words  and  resolves 
of  Astumastao,  he  said,  he  had  gone  for  the 
missionary ;  and  from  this  man,  and  from  Me- 
motas  and  others,  he  had  found  the  way  of 
faith  in  the  Son  of  God.  Now  he  was  trusting 
in  him  with  a  sweet  belief  that  even  he,  Oowi- 
kapun,  was  a  child  of  God  like  these  other 
happy  Christians  who  had  spoken. 

After  such  an  hour  of  preliminary  services  it 
was  surely  easy  for  that  missionary  to  preach. 


ij,-. 


ich. 


THK    MlSSKiNAkV    Al     WoRK.  221 

He  took  as  his  text  the  sixteenth  verse  of  the 
third  chapter  of  St.  John's  gospel.  This  is 
how  it  reads  in  Cree,  which  we  give,  that  our 
readers  may  see  what  this  beautiful  language 
looks  like : 

'^  AspcecJic  sake  tat  Kcsa-Mancto  askceyou 
kali  kc  ooclie  viakvt  oopay  yc-koo-sah-kc  aiveyit 
katapua  yayc  DiaJi  kwa  akah  kaJie  ncsc-ivah 
naJi-tcc-sit  viaka  kacJic  at  ayaky  ka-kc-ka 
pimatissciviny 

It  was  a  long  sermon  that  was  preached 
that  day.  For  four  hours  the  missionary 
talked  without  stopping.  He  had  so  much  to 
say,  for  here  was  a  people  who  had  never 
heard  the  Gospel  before,  and  were  now  listen- 
ing to  it  for  the  first  time.  Everything  had  to 
be  made  plain  as  he  went  along.  So  he  had 
to  take  them  back  to  the  creation  of  the 
human  family ;  and  tell  them  of  the  fall,  and 
of  the  great  plan  to  save  the  poor  sinning  race, 
who  have  got  out  of  the  right  trail,  and  are 
wandering  in  darkness  and  death,  and  bring 
them  back  again  into  the  right  way,  which  has 
in  it  happiness  for  them  here,  and  heaven 
hereafter. 


f    ) 


lil 


i 


)«  it* 


m 


222  OOWIKAI'UN, 

Thus  the  missionary  talked  hour  after  hour, 
wisliin^  to  brin^  them  to  a  decision  for  Christ 
at  once.  He  dwelt  upon  the  greatness  and 
impartiality  of  God's  love,  and  urged  them 
that  as  his  love  was  so  real  and  blessed,  they 
should  accept  of  him  now,  at  the  first  great  in- 
vitation. 


Th( 


the 


le  ever-blessed  Spirit  carried  home  to 
hearts  of  these  simple  people  the  truths  ut- 
tered, and  deep  and  genuine  were  the  results. 
After  more  singing  and  prayer  the  missionary 
asked  for  some  of  them  to  candidly  tell  what 
was  in  their  hearts  concerning  these  truths, 
and  what  were  their  wishes  and  resolves  in 
reference  to  becoming  Christians. 

To  write  down  'lere  all  that  was  said  that 
day  would  require  several  more  chapters ; 
suffice  it  to  say  that,  from  the  chief,  who  spoke 
first,  through  a  succession  of  their  best  men, 
they  were  all  thankful  for  what  they  had 
heard,  and  said  that  th'se  things  about  the 
Great  Spirit  "  satisfied  their  longing,"  and,  as 
one  put  it,  "  filled  up  their  hearts." 

Thus  the  Gospel  had  reached  Nelson  River, 
and    rapidly   did    it   find   a   lodgment    in  the 


'I'lIK    MiSSIONAKV    Al'    WoRK. 


223 


hearts  of  tlic  people.  At  tlie  close  of  the 
second  service  about  forty  men  and  women 
came  forward  to  the  front  of  the  assembly  and 
professed  their  faith  in  Christ  and  desired 
Christian  baptism,  the  meaning  of  which  had 
been  explained  to  them.  And  thus  the  good 
work  went  on  day  after  day,  and  many  more 
decided  fully  for  Christ. 

Do  not,  my  dear  reader,  say  this  work  was 
too  sudden,  and  that  these  baptisms  were  too 
soon.  Nothing  of  the  kind.  It  was  only 
another  chapter  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles, 
and  in  perfect  harmony  with  what  is  stated  by 
infallible  Wisdom.  There  it  is  recorded  of  the 
multitudes,  after  one  sermon  by  Peter,  *'  Then 
they  that  gladly  received  his  word  were  bap- 
tized :  and  the  same  day  there  were  added 
unto  them  about  three  thousand  souls." 


1^] 


^er, 
:he 


J-;^ 


224 


OoN\  IKAI'UN. 


CHAPTHR  XVII. 
Norway  House  Revisitod. 

?'"'" "'?I'  course  Oowikapun  and  Astumastao 

I    rj    I     were  married.     Kverybody  was  iii- 
I  J     vited,  and  of  course  everybody  came 

to  the  wedding,  and  to  the  great 
feast  that  followed.  Very  kind  and  devoted 
was  he  to  her,  even  as  Memotas  had  been  to 
his  wife.  The  excitement  of  the  arrival  of 
the  missionary  after  a  time  died  away,  but  the 
J.  ■>od  results  continue  to  this  day.  Although 
at  limes  slowly,  yet  constantly  has  the  good 
work  gone  on,  and  none  who  at  the  beginning 
decided  for  the  Christian  life  have  ever  gone 
back  to  t!  c  old  pagan  religion  of  their  fort  - 
fathers.  So  much  had  Oowikapun  to  say 
about  Memotas  that  he  resolved  if  possible  to 
see  that  blessed  man  once  again.  And  to  As- 
tumastao also  there  came  a  longing  desire  to 
visit  the  spot  to  which  now,  more  than  ever, 
her  memory  turned,  where  that  period,  all  too 
brief,  in  her  childhood  days   had   been   spent, 


-a 

c 

m 


w 


CQ 


.2 
-5 


L 


Norway  House  Revisited. 


:27 


where  in  the  home  of  the  missionary,  and  in 
the  house  of  God  she  had  learned  the  sweet 
lessons  which  had  never  entirely  been  for- 
gotten, and  which  had  "  after  many  days  "  pro- 
duced such  glorious  results. 

The  longed-for  opportunity  came  the  next 
summer,  and  was  gladly  accepted. 

So  successful  had  been  the  fur  hunters  in 
their  trapping  the  fur-bearing  animals  such  as 
the  silver  foxes,  beavers,  otters,  minks,  and 
others  whose  rich  pelts  are  very  valuable,  that 
the  Hudson  Bay  Trading  Company  resolved  to 
send  up  to  Norway  House  a  second  brigade  of 
boats  to  take  up  the  surplus  cargo  left  by  the 
first  brigade,  and  also  to  bring  down  a  cargo 
of  supplies  for  the  extra  trade,  which  was  so 
rapidly  developing.  Oowikapun  was  appointed 
steersman  of  one  of  the  boats,  and  his  wife 
was  permitted  to  go  with  him. 

With  great  delight  were  they  both  wel- 
comed at  Norway  House  Mission.  They  had 
had  a  long,  dangerous  tiip.  Many  rapids  had 
to  be  run  where  the  greatest  skill  was  required 
in  safely  steering  the  little  boats,  but  Oowika- 
pun  was  alert  and   watchful   and    did    well. 


11 


■i 


•28 


OOWIKAPUN. 


Twenty-five  or  thirty  times  did  they  have  to 
make  portages  around  the  dangerous  falls  and 
rapids. 

The  joy  of  Astumastao  on  reaching  the 
place  where  she  had  spent  that  eventful  year, 
so  long  ago,  was  very  great  indeed.  Absorbed 
in  bringing  up  the  memories  of  the  past  she 
seemed  at  times  like  one  in  a  d'eam.  To  find 
the  playmates  of  that  time  she  had  to  search 
among  those,  who  now,  like  herself,  had  left 
the  years  of  childhood  far  behind.  Many  of 
them  had  gone  into  the  spirit  land.  Still  she 
found  a  goodly  number  after  a  time,  and  great 
indeed  was  their  mutual  joy  to  renew  the 
friendships  of  their  earlier  days.  And  great 
indeed  was  the  pleasure  of  all  to  meet  the 
wife  of  that  Indian  who  had  visited  the  mis- 
sion in  the  depth  of  that  cold  winter  to  plead 
for  a  missionary,  especially  when  they  learned 
that  it  was  because  of  her  earnest  resolve  that 
he  had  undertaken  the  long,  cold,  dangerous 
journey. 

They  were  welcome  visitors  at  the  mis- 
sion house.  Sagastaookemou  and  Minnehaha 
seemed  intuitively  to  love  them,  much  to  their 


M 


Norway  Housk  Revisitkd. 


229 


ns- 
iaha 
heir 


delight,  and  as  gravely  listened  as  did  the  older 
people  to  the  recital  of  some  of  the  thrilling 
incidents  of  their  lives.  The  services  of  the 
sanctuary  were  "  seasons  of  sweet  delight," 
and  in  thenn  much  was  to  be  learned  to  be 
helpful  in  times  to  come. 

Of  course  the  little  home  of  Mcmotas  was 
visited.  Their  hearts  were  saddened  at  find- 
ing the  one,  who  for  years  had  not  only,  as  the 
missionary's  most  efficient  helper,  often  minis- 
tered to  the  mind  diseased,  and  brought  com- 
fort to  the  sin-sick  soul,  but  had  often,  as  in  the 
case  of  Oowikapun,  when  bitten  by  the  savage 
wolf,  skillfully  restored  to  health  and  vigor 
many  suffering  ones,  now  rapidly  himself 
hastening  to  the  tomb. 

But  although  he  was  feeble  in  body  he  was 
joyous  in  spirit,  and  had  the  happy  gift  of 
making  everybody  happy  who  came  to  see 
him.  Even  in  his  last  illness  this  remarkable 
man  was  a  "  son  of  consolation."  For  months 
ere  he  left  us,  he  lived  in  an  atmosphere  of 
heaven,  and  longed  for  his  eternal  home.  Only 
once  after  the  arrival  of  Oowikapun  and  As- 
tumastao  did  he  have  sufficient  strength  to  go 


r 


saMitosBgWH 


230 


OOWIKAPUN. 


with  them  to  the  house  of  God.  Every  In- 
dian within  twenty  miles  of  the  sanctuary  was 
there  that  bright  Sabbath  morning.  Wan  and 
pale  and  spiritual  looked  the  saintly  man  who 
seemed  to  have  just,  by  the  strength  of  his  will, 
kept  the  soul  in  the  frail  earthen  vessel,  that 
he  might  once  again  worship  in  the  earthly 
sanctuary,  ere  he  entered  into  that  which  is 
heavenly. 

When  with  an  effort  e  raised  himself  up  to 
speak  the  place  was  indeed  a  Bochim,  for  the 
weepers  were  everywhere.  One  illustration 
used  by  him  has  lingered  with  mc  through  all 
these  years.  He  said  :  "  I  am  in  body  like  the 
old  wigwam  that  has  been  shaken  by  many  a 
storm.  Every  additional  blast  that  now 
assails  it  only  makes  the  rents  and  crevices 
the  more  numerous  and  larger.  But  the  larger 
the  breaks  and  openings^  the  more  the  sunshine 
ean  enter  in.  So  with  me,  every  pang  of  suf- 
fering, every  trial  of  patience,  only  opens  the 

way  into  my  soul  for  more  of  Jesus  and  his 

1»» 
ove. 

How  he  did  rejoice  as  they  talked  with  him 

and  rehearsed  the  story  of  how  the  Lord  had 


"I---: 


Norway  House  Revisited. 


231 


him 
had 


so  wonderfully  led  them  out  of  the  darkness  of 
the  old  way  into  the  blessed  light  of  the  new. 

At  Astumastao's  request  Oowikapun  told 
Memotas  of  his  wonderful  dream,  and  of  the 
deep  impression  it  had  made  upon  him.  Me- 
motas listened  to  its  recital  with  the  deepest 
interest,  and  stated  what  many  others  have 
said,  that  they  believed  that  still,  as  in  ancient 
times,  the  good  Spirit  in  loving  compassion 
speaks  in  dreams  to  help  or  warn  those  who 
have  not  yet  received  enough  of  the  divine 
revelation  to  be  completely  guided  by  it.  At 
his  feet  sat  those  two  happy  converts,  and,  as 
did  many  others,  learned  from  his  rich  testi- 
mony many  blessed  truths. 

Happy  Memotas ;  only  a  little  while  longer 
did  he  tarry  with  us.  A  little  additional  cold 
was  all  that  was  needed  to  finish  the  work  in 
a  constitution  so  nearly  shattered.  When  he 
felt  it  assailing  him  there  came  very  clearly  to 
him  the  presentiment  that  the  end  was  near. 
And  never  did  a  weary  traveler  welcome  his 
home  and  bed  of  rest  with  greater  delight  than 
did  Memotas  welcome  the  grave  and  the  bliss 
beyond. 


I' 


■  I 


232 


OOWIKAI'UX. 


The  prospect  ~»f  getting  to  heaven  seemed 
so  glorious  that  lie  could  hardly  think  of  any- 
thing else.  This  was  now  his  one  absorbing 
thought. 

Like  all  the  rest  of  these  Northern  Indians, 
he  was  very  poor,  and  had  nothing  in  his  home 
for  food  of  his  own  but  fish.  But  there  were 
loving  hearts  at  the  mission  house,  and  so 
willing  hands  carried  supplies  as  needed  to 
his  little  habitation. 

On  one  occasion,  when  that  dear,  good 
missionary,  Rev.  John  Semmens,  who  had 
gone  with  me,  as  together  we  had  lovingly 
supplied  his  wants,  said  to  him :  "  Now, 
beloved  Memotas,  can  we  do  anything  else  for 
you  ?     Do  you  want  anything  more  ?  " 

"  O,  no,"  replied  Memotas  ;  "  I  want  nothing 
but  Christ.     More  of  Christ." 

When  we  administered  to  him  the  emblems 
of  the  broken  body  and  spilt  blood  of  the  dear 
Redeemer,  he  was  much  affected,  and  ex- 
claimed, **  My  precious  Saviour.  I  shall  soon 
see  him." 

Seeing  his  intense  longing  to  go  sweeping 
through  the  gates  of  the  celestial   city,  I  said 


Norway  Housk  Rkvisited. 


^3i 


seemed 
:  of  any- 
bsorbing 

Indians, 
lis  home 
Lire  were 
and  so 
eded   to 

ir,   good 

'ho   had 

lovingly 

"  Now, 

else  for 

nothing 

mblems 
he  dear 
ind  ex- 
ill  soon 

A'ceping 
/,  I  said 


to  him :  "  Memotas,  my  brother  beloved,  why 
are  you  so  anxious  to  leave  us  ?  I  hope  you 
will  be  spared  to  us  a  little  longer.  We  need 
you  in  the  Church  and  in  the  village.  We  want 
your  presence,  your  example,  your  prayers." 

He  was  a  little  perplexed  at  first,  and 
seemed  hardly  to  know  how  to  answer.  Then 
he  looked  up  at  me  so  chidingly,  and  gave  me 
the  answer  that  outweighs  all  arguments:  "I 
want  to  go  home." 

And  home  he  went,  gloriously  and  triumph- 
antly.    His  face  was  so  radiant  and  shining 
that  it  seemed  to  us  as  though   the  heavenly 
gates   had  swung  back,   and    from  the   glory 
land  some  of  its  brightness  had  come  flashing 
down,  and   had  so    illumined  the  poor  body 
that  still  held  in  its   faltering  grasp  the  pre- 
cious soul,  that  we  could  almost  imagine  that 
mortal    itself   was    putting    on     immortality. 
The  triumphant  death  of  Memotas  was   not 
only  a  revelation  and  a  benediction  to  Oowi- 
kapun    and    Astumastao,    and    many     other 
Christian  Indians,  but  it  caused  the  full  and 
complete   surrender  of  many   hard,  stubborn 

hearts  to  Christ, 
15 


I 


ij 


l\^-r 


234 


OOWIKAPUX. 


So  short  a  time  had  our  hero  and  heroin:i 
been  in  the  way  tnat,  happy  as  they  were  in 
their  present  enjoyment  of  the  favor  of  God, 
they  had  had  their  fears  as  they  thought  of 
the  last  enemy  which  is  death.  In  the 
quietude  of  their  wigwam  home  they  had 
asked  themselves,  and  each  other,  the  solemn 
question,  Will  this  religion  sustain  us  in  the 
valley  and  shadow  of  death?  or,  How  will  we 
do  in  the  swellings  of  Jordan?  Natural  and 
solemn  are  these  questions,  and  wise  and 
prudent  are  they  in  all  lands  who  thoughtfully 
and  reverently  ask  them. 

Comforting  and  suggestive  were  the  answers 
which  they  and  others  had  learned  at  the  bed- 
side of  the  triumphant  Memotas. 

"  As  thy  days,  so  shall  thy  strength  be,"  had 
a  new  meaning  to  them  from  that  time  for- 
ward, and  so  as  they  reconsecrated  themselves 
to  God,  they  resolved  in  the  divine  strength 
to  obtain  each  day  sufficient  grace  for  that 
day's  needs — and  who  can  do  any  better  ? 

Very  anxious  was  Astumastao  to  learn  all 
she  could  about  housekeeping  and  other 
things   which   would   more   fully   fit    her   fc ; 


Norway  Housk  Rf-visited. 


235 


helping  her  less  fortunate  Indian  sisters  at  the 
distant  Indian  village,  who,  now  that  they 
had  become  Christians,  were  also  trying  to  at- 
tain to  some  of  the  customs  and  comforts  of 
civilization. 

Thus  very  quickly  sped  the  few  weeks 
during  which  the  brigade  of  boats  waited  at 
Norway  House  for  their  return  cargo,  which 
had  to  come  from  Fort  Garry.  Wlien  this  ar- 
rived all  was  hurry  and  excitement.  Two  or 
three  days  only  were  required  to  unpack  from 
the  large  cases  or  bales  the  supplies,  and  re- 
pack them  in  "  pieces,"  as  they  are  called  in 
the  language  of  the  country.  These  pieces 
will  each  weigh  from  eighty  to  a  hundred 
pounds.  The  cargos  are  put  up  in  this  way 
on  account  of  the  many  portages  which  have 
to  be  made,  where  the  whole  outfit  has  to  be 
carried  on  the  men's  shoulders,  supported  by 
a  strap  from  the  forehead.  It  is  laborious 
work,  but  these  Indians  are  stalwart  fellows, 
and  now  being  homeward  bound,  they  worked 
with  a  will. 

Most  of  them  were  at  this  time  Christians. 
So  they  tarried  at  the  mission  for  a  little  time 


236 


OOWIKAPUN. 


to  say  "  Farewell  "  and  to  take  on  board  Astu- 
mastao  and  two  or  three  other  Indian  women, 
who  had  been  wooed  with  such  rapidity  that 
ere  the  short  visit  of  a  few  weeks  rolled  round 
all  arrangements  had  been  made  and  some 
pleasant  little  marriage  ceremonies  had  taken 
place  in  our  little  church. 

These  marriages  were  a  great  joy  to  Astu- 
mastao  as  her  mtensely  practical  character  saw 
that  the  coming  to  her  distant  country  of  some 
genuine  Christian  young  women  would  be  very 
helpful  in  the  more  rapid  extension  of  Chris- 
tianity. Indeed,  **  Dame  Rumor,"  who  lives 
there  as  well  as  elsewhere,  said  that  she  had  a 
good  deal  to  do  in  introducing  some  of  the  shy, 
timid  bachelor  Indians  of  the  Nelson  River 
brigade  to  some  of  the  blushing  damsels  whom 
she  had,  in  her  judgment,  decided  would  make 
good  wives  for  them  and  also  be  a  blessing  in 
their  new  homes.  Various  amusing  stories 
were  flying  about  for  a  long  time  in  reference 
to  some  of  the  queer  misadventures  and  mixing 
up  of  the  parties  concerned  ere  everything  was 
satisfactorily  arranged  and  everybody  satisfied. 
Among  a  people  so  primitive  and  simple  in 


ill 


Norway  Housk  Rkvisitkd. 


237 


their  habits  this  could  quickly  be  done,  as  no 
long  months  were  required  to  arrange  jointures 
or  marriage  settlements,  or  a  prying  into  the 
state  of  the  bank  accounts  of  either  of  the  par- 
ties concerned. 

But  all  these  things  have  been  attended 
to,  and  the  long  journey  begun.  It  was  a 
matter  of  thankfulness  that  no  boats  were 
smashed  on  the  rocks  or  lives  lost  in  the  raging 
waters.  The  women  looked  well  after  the 
cooking  of  the  meals  and  the  mending  of  gar- 
ments torn  in  the  rough  portages.  Every 
morning  and  evening  they  read  from  the  good 
book  and  had  prayers.  Often  in  the  long 
gloaming  of  those  high  latitudes,  when  the 
day's  work  was  done,  they  clustered  around  the 
camp  fire  on  the  g/eat,  smooth  granite  rocks, 
with  the  sparkling  waters  of  lake  or  river  in 
front,  and  the  dense,  dark  forest  as  their  back- 
ground, and  sweetly  sang  some  of  the  sweet 
songs  of  Zion  which  they  had  lately  learned 
or  were  learning  from  these  young  Christian 
wives  whom  the  wise  Astumastao  had  intro- 
duced among  them. 

The  three  Sabbaths  which  had  to  be  spent 


lM>.ii'JWIJB7«m 


23« 


OOWIKAPUN. 


on  the  journey  wore  clays  of  quiet  restfulness 
and  religious  worship.  It  is  a  deh'ghtful  fact 
that  all  of  our  Northern  Christian  Indians  rest 
from  their  huntinf^s  and  journeyings  on  the 
Lord's  Day.  And  it  has  been  found,  by  many 
years  of  testing,  that  the  Christian  Indians  who 
thus  rest  on  the  Sabbath  can  do  more  and 
better  work  in  these  toilsome  trips  for  the 
Hudson  I^ay  Company  than  those  brigades 
that  know  no  Sabbath. 

The  longest  journey  has  an  end.  The  far- 
away home  was  reached  at  last.  The  goods, 
in  capital  order,  were  handed  over  to  the 
officer  of  the  trading  post.  The  men  were  paid 
for  their  work,  and  supplies  were  taken  up  for 
the  winter's  hunting,  and  one  after  another  of 
the  families  dispersed  to  their  different  hunt- 
ing grounds,  seme  of  which  were  hundreds  of 
miles  away. 

Oowikapun,  with  Astumastao  and  her 
aunt,  went  with  a  number  whose  wigwams 
were  so  arranged  on  their  hunting  grounds 
that  they  could  meet  frequently  for  religious 
worship  among  themselves.  Very  blessed  and 
helpful  to  them  was  this  little  church  in  the 


NORWAV    HOUSK    RtVISITEU. 


-'39 


wilderness.  And  now  here  we  m  ist  leave 
them  for  the  present.  They  had  their  trials 
and  sorrows  as  all  have.  Even  if  their  home 
was  but  a  wigwam,  it  was  a  happy  one  with 
its  family  altar  and  increasing  jo)'s. 

They  had  never  become  weary  of  talking 
about  the  wonderful  way  in  which  their  lov- 
ing heavenly  Father  has  led  them  out  of  the 
dark  path  of  the  old  life  into  this  blessed 
way. 

The  only  question  on  which  they  differed 
was  which  had  had  more  to  do  in  bringing 
the  Gospel  to  their  people.  Astumastao  said 
it  was  the  visit  of  Oowikapun  ;  while  he  dc- 
dared  if  it  had  not  been  for  her  true,  brave 
life  and  faithful  words,  and  her  endeavor  to 
live  up  to  what  light  she  had  received  when  a 
little  child,  they  might  all  have  been  in  dark- 
ness still.  And  I  think  my  readers  will 
believe  with  me  that  I  think  Oowikapun  was 
right  when  he  so  emphatically  argued  that  to 
Astumastao  more  than  to  anyone  else  was  to 
be  given  this  high  honor. 

So,  while  in  our  story  we  have  given 
Oowikapun   such    a   prominent    place,  yet  to 


3SE 


240 


OOWIKAPUN. 


Astumastao,  we  think  our  dear  readers  with  us 
will  say,  must  be  given  the  first  place  among 
those  who  have  been  instrumental  in  having 
the  Gospel  introduced  among  the  Nelson 
River  Indians. 


THE   EX  I). 


1,'-. 


vith  us 
among 
having 
kelson 


